Lemon and Strawberry Cake
by Unyielding Wish
Summary: There are some hardships that must be conquered. It's summertime and Iroha had just moved into the neighborhood, while Rin has moved out. And thus, an adventure is brewing... Iroha x Len
1. Prologue: Iroha and Len

**So here I am. :D This fic was inspired by my friend (she asked me just today to please not credit her name but she'd review anyway), who commanded me to make a LenxIroha fic because she was a big fan of it. And me, being her faithful minion, I obeyed.  
**

**Also, "Mizu Funmu" means "water spray" in Japanese; I wanted to use that as the town Iroha used to be living in. And I took Miki's last name from the singer which provided her voice. Just some facts you would want to know. *is currently eating a peach*  
**

* * *

_Prologue: Iroha**  
**_

A pink-haired girl wiped her forehead and looked around the room. Not a thing was out of place; the right things were organized in the right boxes, the unwanted things were in the trash bin, and other than that the room was entirely empty. Nekomura Iroha felt a spark of pride in her ability to clean, but nonetheless the pride came with an edge of sadness.

She was leaving this place. Mizu Funmu, the only place she ever knew as a home.

She would be leaving all of them behind—Momo Momone, Teto Kasane, Miki Furukawa. Friends for far too short a time.

With a sigh, Iroha rubbed her forearms and looked around. At least her room was now decent—now to move onto her father's.

* * *

_Prologue: Len _

Len scowled as he bent down to pick up a few more boxes to move onto the big U-Move truck. It seemed that when misfortune hit him, it always had to hit super-hard with a strong impact, too. He blinked back tears as he loaded the boxes into the truck. Rin Kagamine, the only true friend he had every known for his whole life, was going away. To somewhere distant, because her parents relocated in a small town in Hokkaido.

"It's…it shouldn't be _that_ bad," Rin tried to comfort him, patting his arm. "We'll connect by email, okay?"

Len sniffed hard, trying to hold back his tears. "Talking by email is not the same as talking face-to-face. You better make a Skype account soon, because I'm going to be your first contact."

Rin laughed slightly. "And for the summers, I'll come back to visit."

"You'd better."

"Just…it's okay, alright?" Rin grabbed both of his cheeks and pulled them, making Len wince, which made it hurt even more. "Anyway, I've got to go now," she added when her father yelled something at her. Rin smiled bravely at Len. "You can go ahead and cry…I…I won't tease you for now, okay?"

As Len watched their truck pull out of the driveway, he clenched his fists, and thought,

_That new kid had better be worth it. _

* * *

**Done with da prologue. Anyway, I finished the peach. Sent the link to her...Anyway, done with that, please read and review! ;)**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	2. Chapter 1: A Meeting Messed Up

**Guess I just got motivated. ^_^ Thanks, you guys are the best. Also, I find that Iroha sounds a lot like Luka... Owo Her version of "Meltdown" was so good.  
**

* * *

_Chapter One_

"Finally, a big house," Yuuma said as he helped his daughter carry the boxes indoors. As soon as Iroha stepped inside, a musty, old smell greeted her. She wrinkled up her nose.

"It's big, but I don't like it." She had the distinct feeling that there was something unwelcoming about it.

Yuuma frowned at Iroha. "Keep a positive attitude."

Iroha, as much as she tried, couldn't. It was annoying, but it was her true feelings. She looked into the house, as far as she could see from the doorway, and only saw dusty brown nothingness—well, she could see a hallway, but she couldn't see the end of it. Yuuma noticed this and grudgingly ruffled Iroha's hair a little.

"Don't worry, once we unpack the things we'll get a look around."

"Didn't you already?"

"_You_ haven't. Now, come on and help me with this box." Yuuma tried to pick up an especially big one, but failed rather miserably. With a sigh, Iroha came over to pick up the other side.

* * *

Len walked out of the house for a little afternoon time to himself. Even though it was tremendously hot, and Len knew he would be baked if he did this, he pulled the hood of his beige jacket over his head. A movement toward the direction of Rin's house startled him, and he turned to see what it was.

A demure car with boxes stacked all around it sat in the driveway, in the place of Rin's family's old Honda. _It must be the new family's_, Len thought, and went closer to inspect. As much he despised this, he was curious.

Apparently the family who was moving in had not finished bringing all of the boxes into the home, because of the boxes littered all around. The door to inside was wide open, letting out old air and with fresh air replacing it. Len crept closer, feeling quite like a stalker or a ninja, and peered over the edge of a tall, prickly rosebush—the same rosebush, if he remembered correctly, he and Rin used to use for a hiding spot in their childhood.

One of the thorns snagged on the fabric of his clothes. Len shook his head, sighing, as he became immersed in his past memories spent with Rin.

_They really do need to trim their rosebushes…Rin's family was too lazy…_

Yet that was an endearing trait to Len, and a part of Len wished that they would leave the roses alone, to let them bloom wild and free in the soon-to-come hot summer. He always liked them that way…

_Right, Len. No time to get sentimental._

Len quickly turned his face away. The new people can do anything now, because it was now their property.

He was just about to leave when a man's deep voice startled him from his thoughts: "Oi! Our first neighbor? Come on, let's have some fun with unpacking!"

_He is not talking to_ _me._

Yet, curiosity got the better of Len and he turned to see who he _was_ talking to. When he did, he was staring into the sage-green eyes of a pink-haired man. A grin spread across the man's face when he realized that Len was, actually, staring at him. _Surprise, surprise!_ Len backed away slightly—he was finding that grin rather creepy.

Before he could go as far as arm's length away, however, the man's hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder. "Well, well! What do we have here?" Len couldn't protest; he was firmly in the man's grip. The pinkhead inspected him closely.

"Blond hair, blue eyes, eh? You remind me of a former high-school lover—Luna Amane, the name was? Yes, Luna Amane!"

Len got the distinct feeling that Luna Amane was the name of Rin's mother. Yet he didn't complain, and simply nodded, because he didn't quite know how to respond to this person.

"Uh, Dad…" A voice, slightly husky, piped up. "You know…"

A pink-haired girl walked up from behind the man, wearing a red hat which had two little cat ears perched atop it—at least, that was what Len could make out. Her upper body and face was obscured by all the boxes she was carrying…did she even know where she was going? As if an answer to his question, the girl suddenly tripped and fell at Len's feet, and the boxes went flying out of her hands.

A blush crossed both teenagers' faces at the same time. The girl tried to speak, but her father interrupted her.

"Ah, this is Iroha Nekomura here! Yuuma Nekomura, at your service."

Iroha, her face still red, got off the ground and brushed off her red skirt with the pink and green ruffles. "Sorry," she mumbled. "A–a–anyway, can you get me that box over there…" Rubbing her knee, she pointed with her other hand to a box that had landed a few meters behind Len.

"Ah…" Len walked over. Some of the contents had spilled out, and he couldn't help but glance at them as he put them in the box.

There was a little light-pink glass kitty, wrapped in layers and layers of bubble wrap, that he carefully placed in the box under the impression that it might break, due to the many layers. There was a bunch of red and pink lace, sometimes polka-dotted with white. A few doilies were in there as well. But what really caught Len's eye was the plastic figurine.

It had long pink hair, almost the same as Iroha's. It wore a black dress, sandy golden boots, and a brown headband, and was smiling gently. Len took a moment to admire it, but suddenly saw Iroha's shadow over him.

"Um…this one…is really private," she mumbled, quickly grabbing the figurine from his hand. He heard something about someone named "Luka" as she stashed it in the box.

Guiltily Len stood up. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Iroha replied, but there was an icy edge to her voice. Len knew, at that moment, that he would probably not be welcome anymore in Iroha's home. But before he could apologize again, this time more profusely, Yuuma spoke up.

"Of course you're welcome anytime!"

_Does that guy read my mind or something?_

Len looked over at Iroha, as if seeking her approval. He didn't know why—he just wanted to see her expression.

There was a thin-lipped, tight smile on Iroha's face, and she was holding her box tightly. The smile's warmth did not reach her eyes; they were, rather, filled with an emotion that Len could only describe as displeasure. There was a slight hint in Iroha's eyes for—Len guessed—Yuuma to pick up. Only after grinning at Len for several long moments did he realize his daughter's face.

"Oh," Yuuma said quickly. "Uh—Let's talk later, okay?"

Len winced inwardly. Yuuma seemed to be intent on making Len think of him as a friend, not Mr. Nekomura. Frankly, Len didn't have trouble with recognizing adults as friends; he'd had experience with it with Rin's parents, after all. But this…

"Nice," was the only word Len could come up with. "Alright…I'll, uh, go now, okay?"

As he turned away to walk quickly back to his own house, he noticed out of his corner of his eyes the turned-down corners of Iroha's mouth and the glare she was directing at her father.

* * *

**So, Chapter One. The first meeting of Nekomura Iroha and Kagamine Len—is effed up slightly. Hmm, I hope I'll be able to write a better meeting next time... I admit, it was kind of hard to find a stop-mark...but now that I did...**

**Anyway. Review?  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	3. Chapter 2: Gumi's Bakery

**NEW CHAPPIE! But it might take me some time in uploading, because viruses did some things to my computer. Also, I'm juggling three stories around—"Oh, the Regret", this one, and "Triggering a Chain Reaction". But I'll update as fast I can, no worries. ^_^  
**

* * *

_Chapter Two_

It was the smell of the evening—the roses' perfume, baked in the warm early-summer sun, now releasing their aroma in the night. The early-blooming roses in the park emitted such a scent, a comforting smell that could lull you to sleep if you slept near them. The rosebushes' stems twisted around each other, as if strangling each other in a friendly embrace. Sharp thorns poked out, but if you were to twist them off, you could be awarded by picking a single heavenly rose. Len thought this as he padded on the field of dry, sunburnt and scorched grass to a single rosebush out in the grassy place.

Truthfully, he didn't even know why he was here. Perhaps it became a sudden urge after Rin moved out just a week ago, and how the Nekomuras moved in just this morning. He kicked at a tuft of grass that looked like tumbleweed, and it went flying off to somewhere distant.

A sigh escaped his lips and he plopped down on a stone bench not far from the rosebush, watching its leaves sway with a gentle, hot breeze. Len got the distinct feeling that, how dry the grass was, so dry that it was like hay, would burn if the breeze became stronger. As if answering his question, a few soft rose petals broke off of a rose and were carried away by the passing wind. Len's eyes traced their movement until they flew too far for him to see.

Len raised his eyes to the stars, which were twinkling brightly. _The sky's clear tonight._ There was not a cloud in sight, and this part of the park was far from what they called "civilization". Len pushed himself off of the bench and stood up, crunching the grass under his feet into tiny fragments.

Just tonight, he would visit her.

Just tonight.

To check if she forgave him for intruding into her business about the figurine too much. And didn't Yuuma say he was welcome anytime?

* * *

On the way to Iroha's home, Len suddenly got another notion into his head and turned his heel. He excused it on his growling stomach; he was hungry for some of Gumi's pastries. Len remembered distinctly that Gumi was saying that her bakery was open until midnight. Wasn't it?

Len rolled his eyes at his own indecisiveness and took off for Gumi's bakery.

* * *

Iroha shifted uncomfortably in her sleep, slightly bothered by Yuuma's snores. Her father was okay to sleep with, but…He snored really loudly. Iroha was, unfortunately, born a light sleeper, so she couldn't help but be woken up by every little noise in the night.

_It's only for this night,_ she assured herself. _Tomorrow I'll get my own bed._

Because they weren't finished organizing all of the boxes, and they finally got to the beds at the end of the day, they only had time to reset up Yuuma's couch-bed. Yuuma and Iroha were both too tired to work any further, so they left the thing about Iroha's bed to tomorrow. Iroha reached out to her bedside table, and touched the little figurine that sat upon it.

Feeling the plastic ridges of Luka's face and body, Iroha was a bit comforted. _It's a bit of home with me._ The figurine of the idol Luka Megurine was given to Iroha by Teto, Miki, and Momo as a parting gift. They chose the figurine of Luka specially because pretty much everyone back in Mizu Funmu knew that Iroha liked to sing. And Luka's voice was one of her favorites. Iroha was immersed in her own little world of thoughts until a sudden, sharp snore from Yuuma startled her.

And right after the snore, she could hear mumbled words. They weren't very coherent, but what she made out was,

"Lemon and strawberry cake. Iroooo…blond Lenny."

_The heck?_

Iroha decided that he must have been talking about how much that boy (who had probably seen her embarrassing passion for singing and would now spread the news to the whole town), Len, resembled his old high school lover. Sighing, she slipped off of the bed and landed with a thump on the floor.

Looking back at her father, she realized that he wasn't awake by that sound, and she slowly got up. Maybe she should explore the town in midnight…get a little feel of how things are in the dark. After all, sometimes they were prettier in the light of the moon than in the sun.

* * *

_Dear Daddy, (I CAPITALIZED "DADDY"! JUST AS YOU ALWAYS WANTED ME TO. :D)  
_

_I just went outside for a little walk. I brought the map of the town with me, don't worry.  
_

_I want to explore this place a little.  
_

_If you happen to awake and see this note, don't freak out and call the cops, 'kay? I'm staying close to the house. And anyway, I'll be back by daybreak to help you set up my bed.  
_

_Your daughter,  
_

_Iroha _

* * *

Iroha traced the lines on the map as she followed the road up to a little slope. The map claimed that at the top of the slope was a bakery.

Now if you were ever wondering, Iroha had a huge sweet tooth. She would eat anything sugary as long as it tasted decent. A bakery sounded like a good idea to her; besides, she was hungry. Squinting at the tiny text on the paper in the moonshine, she could see the words "Gumi's Bakery" printed on it.

Hmm. Iroha fingered her back pocket for some change, and pulled out a single quarter and a penny.

_Let's see what I can get with this._

* * *

"Ah, good evening, Len," Gumi greeted as Len tentatively entered. He noticed that the doughnuts on the counter were arranged in a different order this night. Gumi noticed his stare and smiled apologetically. "I just think Gakupo would think it was nicer if it was in this way, not that way I just put yesterday."

"You know, if he doesn't love you back…" Len eyed the doughnuts hungrily, seeing as one was coated with lemon jelly. "I want that."

Gumi laughed and stuck those tweezer-like thingies into the doughnut-holding case and pulled out one of those. " 'Lemon Delight'. It's the month's new creation. And as for loving me back…when did you start playing matchmaker?" she asked affectionately, sticking the doughnut in a paper bag.

Len flushed as he took his single doughnut out and handed her fifty cents. He bit into the doughnut; sweetness filled his mouth, along with some tartness from the lemon jelly. "I don't know. It's just not right, I guess."

Gumi's peridot eyes twinkled as she watched him devour his doughnut, cupping her chin in her hands. "Sometimes, when you love someone, you do ridiculous things for them. Even arranging your doughnuts in a different way if you thought that way was more attractive."

Len looked up, an eyebrow cocked. "Really."

"Yep." Gumi tapped her fingers on the steel counter. "I remember once, my brother went and spent all of his pocket money on tobacco because he thought it was cool, that it would attract that girl he had an infatuation. Didn't work, and he got addicted and put us in some serious debt. That was when I took up cooking and became the great baker I am today. And also we got him to stop. So there's no loss without some gain."

Len licked his fingers the way a cat would groom her fur. "I don't know about that."

A smile tugged at Gumi's lips. "That's because you're still naïve to love. You've never fell in love before, so you don't know."

"I thought you said once I was in love with Rin."

"That's only brotherly love. It's not the real type," Gumi responded. A dreamy smile clouded over her eyes. "Falling in love with Gakupo, it was like filled with a warmth with the thirst that could only be quenched by bodies rubbing on each other…"

"You're getting creepy," Len said, backing away. Before Gumi could respond, the doorbell jingled.

"Ah, a new customer!" Gumi quickly dove behind the cash register. "What would you like?"

But Len was staring at the "new customer"—who went by the name of Nekomura Iroha, and had gotten upset when he saw her figurine.

* * *

Iroha pointedly avoided Len's eyes as she made her way to the cash register. Nonetheless, Len still gaped after her, and when she got to the counter she opened her palm to reveal twenty-six cents.

"What can I get with this?"

Gumi looked down at the quarter and penny, and a kind but sympathetic smile filled her eyes. "The cheapest thing in my store are the cinnamon buns, which are, in fact, twenty-seven cents each, a penny off of what you could buy."  
Iroha's face fell, but Gumi continued, "I'll give you a discount though, as I can see you're not familiar with my prices as you haven't been her before." She winked and got out the tweezers, picking out a golden bun, sprinkled with brown and white sugar, from the glass case, and put it in a bag. "Have fun."

Iroha took a silent seat at a table near the door, and peeled back the paper that held the golden bun, biting into it. Len watched as her eyes widened as she took in the taste, and in a way it made him happier inside, too. He took a quick seat across from her.

Iroha raised her golden eyes. "Yeeeeeeesss?" she questioned.

A blush surfaced on Len's face for no apparent reason other than the sudden surge of adrenaline inside him when he realized that she was still willing to speak to him. Seeing this, Gumi grinned.

_He's definitely got a crush… _

* * *

**YAY! Done. I was wondering if I could finish it without making it super-long, because any longer than this and it's not my average length. (Same crisis I was experiencing with the last chapter.) The story shall continue in Gumi's Bakery. Sorry for skipping from the afternoon to the evening...^_^" I didn't know how to further describe Len walking away from Iroha's house with Iroha being kind of mad at him.**

**Review? :D Thanks for the reviewers so far, guys: Akaya, Dippin' Dots, Why should you know, KaiKi2012, japaneserockergirl, Forever Lazy, and xTanukix. I responded to all of the users who had an account. ^_^ You guys seriously make my day.  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	4. Chapter 3: Roses

**I'm a bit depressed right now...so if you will excuse me... (It's because I finished reading _Psyren_, and reading ncfan's _Bleach_ fics made me all sentimental all over again. Don't ask why.)  
**

**Anyway, I reread my last chapter and it went really quickly. So I'll try to slow down the happenings here.  
**

* * *

_Chapter Three  
_

Sadly, neither Len and Iroha knew this, and both were oblivious to the fact. Gumi kept her eyes trained on them the whole time they were there, watching in amusement as Len stammered out his sentences (obviously, still very nervous about the figurine) and Iroha trying to decipher their meaning. Currently, Len was mumbling something about pink hair.

"What?" Iroha was saying, pulling at her pink bangs. "You can't take my hair?"

"N…No!" Len practically yelled, jumping up from his seat. "I–I mean, it's not about your _hair_…" He turned his face away, staring at a little wooden ornament that Gumi had never before deemed as interesting.

Iroha raised her eyebrow, but she filled her mouth with the bun nonetheless, her cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk's. Len tapped his fingers on the varnished tabletop, wondering what to say. _He's lost his tongue_, Gumi observed. Then she laughed quietly when she thought about her reactions when she was speaking to Gakupo. _He's no different from me, really_. She would have kept staring at Iroha and Len if not for another customer who had just walked in the door.

"Ah, Lily!" Gumi exclaimed to the blonde. Iroha glanced up, taking in the woman who had just walked in.

The girl—Lily—had long blond hair that flowed down to her waist. She wore a black choker and jacket which could also be described as a strange type of dress. A white and yellow skirt was underneath; a buckle rested on her slim waist. Dainty knee-high black-and-yellow boots were slipped onto her feet. A sassy smile gave her a slightly cocky atmosphere.

"Well, look here!" Iroha blinked. Lily's pale finger was pointing at her, her index finger's long yellow fingernail just inches away from the bridge of her nose, and she spoke in a voice that Iroha recalled was similar to Luka's. "Aren't you going to say hello?"

"Hello?" Iroha said, still startled that Lily suddenly turned upon her.

"What the heck! I'm right here!" This statement only made Iroha more confused. Of course Lily was right in front of her. What was wrong with this woman?

Suddenly Gumi was between them. "Sorry, Lily takes some time to get adjusted to newcomers," she explained. "But don't worry, she'll warm up soon." Gumi winked. "Now Lily, what do I owe you for such late-night grandeur entrance?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, Gu-chan, you're so nice." She leaned on the counter. "I, in fact, have to tell you something about that lover of yours."

"Gakupo?" Gumi asked, perplexed.

Lily smiled. "Gakupo…with Mikuo."

* * *

"I don't believe it!" Gumi cried, throwing her arms up. "Gakupo's a homosexual?"

Lily shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I'm well on the case. I just saw Gakupo sort of flirting with Mikuo around the bars lately…" Gumi pinched her lips together, tightly.

"Maybe he's just drunk," she said hopefully.

"Maybe," Lily agreed skeptically. "Or maybe…"

"I don't want to hear it," said Gumi.

Lily shrugged at that. "You don't need to. Just warning you, you can't keep from the truth always, living in your fantastical oblivion." With that, she swept out the bakery.

* * *

"Sorry, kids," Gumi said, gulping a deep breath after Lily left. Iroha noticed that her hands were trembling as she closed the cash register. "I'm closing early today, even though it's only ten-thirty." She untied her apron and hung it on one of the racks on the back of the bakery. "I need some rest, every day I'm only getting about six hours of sleep." She smiled weakly at Len's worried gaze. "Don't worry, I'm alright…I just need some time to think to myself…"

"All right," Len said quickly, leaping up from his chair. Iroha crumpled up the white paper bag.

"Thanks, Gumi."

At that Gumi smiled slightly again. "No problem. Come here anytime, as long as I'm open."

Iroha nodded. "Okay…"

Once she and Len were outside, Iroha looked over at the blond boy, who apparently was deep in thought. Len's face was rather blank, and his face was turned up to the sky. Stars were reflected in his eyes, and he just stood there even when Iroha took a few steps forward. Finally, in order to break the awkward silence, Iroha asked,

"Who was that lady?"

Len immediately snapped awake and he looked wildly at Iroha. "What did I miss?"

Iroha gave him a strange look. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing…" Len heaved a sigh. _I was just thinking about what Gumi said about my naïvety…_ but he couldn't tell Iroha that. Instead, he asked, "So…while I was spacing out…"

"You're weird." Iroha gave him a look and began walking again, bringing a folded-up piece of paper out of her back pocket. Len ran to catch up.

"Where do you want to go next?"

"Home?"

"Oh, come on. You're not still mad at me about the figurine, right?"

The moment that word left Len's mouth, Iroha froze. Surprised, Len continued walking, and nearly crashed into a tree, because they were walking down the slope. He looked back at the pinkette, except she was just standing there, still as a statue, like he was a moment ago.

"Iroha?" Len asked softly. _Had I gone to far? I __honestly only wanted to know_—

"Who was that lady?" Iroha asked abruptly.

"You…you mean Lily?" When Iroha nodded, Len relaxed a little. "She's just…well, she's a rich lady's daughter who lives near the mayor. And she's the town gossiper, so we don't even need to purchase newspapers anymore. Lily pretty much does it for us…" He laughed, timidly, but Iroha didn't crack a smile. "And she's a big fan of that idol Megurine Luka…"

Iroha's heartbeat immediately picked up speed. _Megurine Luka._ So Lily was a fan, too?

"And," Len was continuing, "she even does covers of Luka's songs, but she modifies the lyrics a bit. Like, you know 'Luka Luka Night Fever'?"

"Yeah…it gained a lot of hits on NicoNico Douga…"

"Well, Lily did her own cover of it, and titled it 'Lily Lily Night Party' or something. She actually sounds a bit like Luka herself." Len looked over at Iroha, except Iroha didn't betray any emotion. "Well…uh, I guess that's it about Lily…"

"Hnh." Clear golden eyes scanned the map, and a fingernail painted with sparkly pink nail polish traced another line inked upon the map. "The park, huh?" Iroha mumbled. "According to this, we're right on the path to the park…" Len leaned over to look, just as Iroha raised her hand a bit, nearly hitting him. "Sorry," she said absently as she traced an orange line. "Nevermind, this is the path. They call it…"

"Rosebush Park," Len said.

"What?"

"Rosebush Park." Len pointed to the little sign that looked like a rose. "You want to see it or something?"

"It sounds…decent. I guess I'll go."

* * *

The park was in a large ring of tall trees that emitted a spicy scent if you went near. A wire fence surrounded it, and there was an opening where you could walk through freely. Between the bushy branches of a huge fir tree, Iroha could see snippets of what she guessed was a tennis court, and beyond that a small swimming pool made to fit about twenty-five people at a time. There was a well-trodden asphalt pavement that lead to—as far as the eye could see—a field of burnt grass and a bunch of rosebushes. In the distances were trees, the trees used to line the park.

Len grabbed her hand. "Come on."  
Surprised, Iroha didn't argue as she was pulled by Len as they walked silently on the path. Branches brushed against her face, and then they gave way to a sharp, scented breeze. Len was going to that field? What was there to see?

Soon Iroha found herself staring at the vast field. The breeze was now warm and soft, with the slightest hint of wild roses. Looking around, she saw clumps and clusters of those rosebushes, some dotting the landscape and others filling an entire spot of land. Looking around, there were a few aged stone benches, some of which looked like would crumble any moment. The sight was, strictly speaking, kind of odd and boring, but breathtaking nonetheless.

"So…about this place…" Iroha began, but Len held up a hand to silence her.

"When Rin and I were children, this place used to be filled with roses," he said, his eyes clouding over with the memories. "We used to play hide-and-seek around there, even when the thorns snagged on our clothes. We picked roses in the summertime and reminisced about them in the wintertime."

Iroha didn't understand who "Rin" was, but she nonetheless continued listening, kicking at a tuft of grass that wandered too near.

"When the roses bloomed, it seemed that they all blossomed at once. One night they'd be only small, soft velvety buds, and the next night they'd be in full blossom, reaching toward the milky light of the moon. To look at those roses from a distance was like looking at a field of soft, gentle crimson, clustered here and there, on a background of glossy pine green. It gave you a distinct serene feeling to be looking at them in the moonlight."

Len had a way of speaking that painted vibrant, vivid pictures in Iroha's mind. As he talked, the desolate ruins of the straw-colored grass gave way to a field of wild roses, their stems so tangled together that they were impossible to pull apart.

"Then…" A bitter edge came into Len's voice. "Then, they cut them down and burnt them up—partly because of the wild fire earlier that year, and partly because they wanted to build a settlement here. We protested, but it was too late—all of the roses were gone. And only when they began marking the spots for the settlement did they finally realize that this place was too small." He laughed hollowly. "So this was the damage we were left with. The roses are making a comeback, but they don't bloom as brightly or as quickly as before."

"I'm…sorry for that," Iroha said.

Len turned toward her, eyebrow cocked. "Oh, there's no reason to be sorry…anyway, let's go over there." He pointed to a lone stone bench, and before Iroha could contradict him, he pulled her there and patted the spot next to him, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Let's begin with a proper formal introduction and get to know each other better."

* * *

**Doneeeeee~ Thank you japaneserockergirl reviewing. ^w^ Here, this chapter is similar to the length before. I hope I did okay here, and I hope everybody's able to make it so far into the story without getting a headache from all of my descriptions; you can see that they're quite boring, but I like doing them. ^_^"**

**Anyway, review please! :D  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	5. Chapter 4: The Thing about Randomness

**So, the new chapter. I'm still a bit depressed... And I'm working on a Rin/Miku oneshot. No yuri included, just... alright, once I publish it I'll notify everyone. **

* * *

_Chapter Four  
_

"Really?" Len raised an eyebrow._  
_

"Yeah…" Iroha looked down at her red boots. "I do like singing."

"So…what type?"

Iroha shrugged, kicking at a stray stone. "Any type. If it's Luka's songs, I would listen to them anytime. I like _'Akahitoha'_ best. I tried making a cover once,…but failed at it miserably."

_Aha, so that's probably why she was so mad at me for seeing that figurine._

"Well," Len said, "you can always…you know, re-try it or take singing classes." He cracked a smile at Iroha. "And maybe…maybe it'd become famous like Lily's…who knows."

Iroha only stared ahead. She had been staring at him, earlier, when he had smiled at her, with a wide-eyed anxiety that Len hadn't seen a long time, not since Rin had moved away. But she tore away her gaze, looking elsewhere. When Len had mentioned the thing about Lily, she suddenly had flashed back to something that Teto had said to her before—

_~Flashback~_

_"Iroha-chaaan, your singing is really good!" Teto's girly-pink drill ponytails, freshly curled, bounces with each step she takes, and she smiles over at the other pinkette, who is busy studying an outfit in a shop window. "You should make a cover someday!"  
_

_"Really?" Iroha smiles weakly at the energetic petite femme. "I don't know…"  
_

_"Iro-chan, you've got to learn how to warm up!" Teto chides. "How are you _ever_ going to become a professional singer if you don't try?"_

_Iroha's hand pauses over the shop door's push-bar. Just one gentle push and she would be walking into the shop, but she couldn't bring her legs to work when Teto was busily asking her such a straightforward question. A straightforward question, that expects a straightforward answer—which she could not bring herself to give.  
_

_'I really _am_ terrible, aren't I…' She sighs._

_"Iroha!" Teto's voice brings her out of her thoughts. "Come on, are you going in or not?"  
_

_Iroha quickly pushes the door, and immediately a blast of cool air-conditioning hits her, nearly sending her sprawling back to the sizzling sidewalk. "Sure."  
_

_~End Flashback~  
_

"Iroha? Ah, Iroha!" Iroha blinked as Len waved a hand in front of her face.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I was…thinking… Anyway, about you."

Len plopped onto the dry grass and picked at a few strands of the pale parchment-toned dead plant. "I used to have a friend named Rin. The best thing that happened to cross my life was her friendship. She was, well, really cheerful and bubbly all the time…like, Rin wasn't girly or anything, but for some reason…" Len raised his sky-blue eyes to the night sky. Stars that sat upon it twinkled down at him, like points of light on a piece of dark velvet.

"Well, I just liked being in her presence. Over that time it blossomed into a really close friendship." Len was so immersed in his reminiscing that he did not notice Iroha's honey nectar-golden eyes fall upon him, with an almost _kind_ spark in them. "And she looked a lot like me—the appearance, I guess, had something contribute to it."

A gentle breeze whispered across the flat land. Len let go from the two grass stems and let the wind carry them away, up into the night sky on a neverending journey in the air. Somehow it calmed him, in a universal way. Suddenly Iroha spoke.

"It makes it seem like nothing's ever impossible, doesn't it."

Len glanced over at her in surprise. Her face was turned to the night sky—and was that a smile on her face?

"What?" Iroha asked, evidently noticing his stare.

"Nothing…" Len looked back at his business with rubbing grass stems together. "Do you know what time it is?" The two teens looked at each other, before each of them realizing that neither of them had a watch.

"We can at least—"

Just as Iroha spoke, something red glowed over the horizon. Len and Iroha exchanged looks, before Len stood up to peek at it on his tip toes, trying to see what it was. A few rays of the crimson light spilled over the mountains, and seemed to be creeping toward them. No, scratch that—it was _aiming _toward them.

"Run," Iroha whispered, her eyes wide. "It's probably the Sun Demon who has risen early."

Len believed nothing of those legends, but nonetheless he grabbed Iroha's wrist and sprinted for his life.

* * *

Was it simply a coincidence, or did Fate plan it? Len's mind was swimming with Iroha's words about the stuff she had read in books, as she told them to him on the run. But nonetheless, when he stopped running, he ended up staring up at a two-story home that had that unmistakable crimson hue.

_It's Juon Kiku's and Akaito's home.  
_

Iroha looked at him questioningly. Len had picked her up—even though she refused it—and carried her in a piggyback ride, so her chest was pretty much pressing onto his shoulder for her to look at him in the eye. Len felt a flush creep up his neck.

"Uh, Len?"

Being poked and prodded by the girl, Len glanced at Iroha. It took him a moment to remember that she didn't know Juon Kiku _or_ Akaito.

He put the pinkette down, his eyebrow twitching. Akaito had a knack of making Len annoyed when he especially hated it, and Juon Kiku had an overly cold aura, and got mad way too easily. "Let's go."

"Go, go where?"

"I'll think of someplace." Len hitched Iroha back up on his back, and began to walk. Before he could take another step, though, a voice he knew only too well rang in the night air, resonant and vibrating.

"Oh, is that Lenny over there?"

A vein popped up Len's forehead, and it took him all of his strength to not explode right then and there. "Akaito."

The redhead came up to them, arms crossed and an amused expression on his face. "Why are you carrying your girlfriend there?"

Iroha immediately hopped off of Len's back. It was only when Len looked at her that he realized that she, too, was blushing like he was. Her face was a few shades darker than her hair, and her lips were pressed together in a thin line as she stared back at Akaito. Len got the idea that Iroha wasn't staring him down; she was just studying him.

_He has red hair. There's a red scarf draped over his shoulders. He has that gray shirt—do they call it a "Speedo" or something?—and brown pants. Isn't that enough?_ Frankly, Len could have just glanced at him and took it all in, but no, Iroha had to stare.

Akaito, meanwhile, seemed to be enjoying the attention. Much to Len's irritation, he even struck a pose, hence the rushing of blood to Iroha's cheeks.

Before Akaito could say anything stupid, Len grabbed Iroha by the wrist and led her away.

* * *

**_Iroha's home~_**

Yuuma had a habit of waking up during the night and getting a midnight snack and such. Usually he'd go into the kitchen to prepare himself a cup of hot milk for him to fall asleep again, or some cocoa as a sweet treat. Tonight was a cocoa night for him, but he had to remind himself that there wasn't any cocoa powder yet.

Still yawning, Yuuma stumbled to the refrigerator and took out some chunks of chocolate. He wasn't sure how old they were, just that they were chocolate and he desperately craved some cocoa. He took out a milk carton and watched as the white liquid flowed into a bowl. He plopped the chocolate in, hearing the satisfying splash as it reached the bottom of the bowl. Now…

_Damn, where's the heater? Microwave?_

A laugh bubbled in Yuuma's throat. Why not do it the old way? He lit a match and held it close to the milk, waiting patiently. Steam evaporated. The milk slowly turned to a light brown as the chocolate melted and dissolved.

How long he stayed there, he didn't know.

But when Yuuma finished with the cocoa and poured it into a mug, he thought of his daughter. _God, such a quiet sleeper she is—waaait._

Where _was_ Iroha?

Immediately a knife of panic shot down Yuuma's spine as he looked around desperately for her, as if Iroha would appear out of thin air. Then his green eyes landed on a piece of paper lying on the kitchen table.

_Huh, must be Fate's blessing…or did I not notice it before?_

He picked up the note and began to read.

* * *

"Who _was_ that guy?" Iroha demanded as Len pulled her across several streets, and as houses rushed past her in a blur. She briefly lingered on the wonderment whether he was in the track team in school or not.

Len's eyes were staring forward, not paying much attention to her question. "Hmm?" asked he absently.

"The guy?" Iroha asked.

"Oh, that was Akaito." Not willing to betray any more information, Len concentrated on navigating through the streets with his legs moving with a record of their own. _Around a corner there, straight past that, that second branch there…_

"Where are you taking me?"

"Your home, I guess…"

"You 'guess'?"

"Come on, my legs are not obeying my brain's commands."

"You're going to _crash_ and we'll all die!"

"At this time," Len assured her, looking back for a moment, "in this town, mostly no cars come."

_"WATCH OUT!"_

Len skidded to a stop just in front of a huge tree. "Oops," he said, laughing awkwardly. Iroha, who had nearly been flipped off to somewhere distant, glowered at him.

"I didn't mean 'crash' by just a car," she said.

"Anyway, this is near your house…" Len pointed to the familiar beige-hued building, but it was the backside of the house. "We're behind your house. We can navigate around with that stone walk if you want to…" Iroha giggled. "What?" Len asked, apparently perplexed because of the strangeness of girls.

"Sorry, when you said 'navigate' I started thinking about ships."

Len shrugged and held his hand out to Iroha's. "Do you want to come or not?"

"Sure."

* * *

**A bit short, I know, but I'm putting way too much dialogue now. XD I expect this to be finished by Chapter Seven, but until then, stay with me~**

**(Oh yeah...I know this is a bit early, but do you want an epilogue or not?)  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	6. Chapter 5: Injury

**So, this chapter will be kinda like a filler chapter to Chapter Six. And ugh, no...I don't think I can finish it with seven chapters now...Eight or nine would do fine. God, I keep pushing this to the end. ;_; But I just need space to fit in events. **

**_IMPORTANT NOTE: _Iana is my deprivation of IA, since the name IA would not work in this case. I just added –na to it, it doesn't come in any language I know of (I don't go to Google Translate and type in IA, dudes and dudettes). *SPOILER ALERT: Iana is Iroha's mother, but I just put her in for this purpose.  
**

* * *

_Chapter Five_

"Thank goodness!" Yuuma Nekomura ran out of the house, still clad in fluffy bunny slippers and a fluffy white nightrobe, his face streaked with tears. "I was so worried!" he cried at Iroha, grasping her tightly.

Len stood awkwardly in the background, not sure of what to do. It had been an eventful night and he was looking forward to his sleep. However, he could not bring his legs to move; instead, he gawked at the father and the daughter, pinned to place. Currently, Yuuma was saying something about Iroha's mother—

"…Do you _know_ how disappointed she'd be in you?"

Iroha cringed out of Yuuma's grip. "It was just a walk!" she protested. "It's not like, I don't know, I'm going to graffiti the town walls or something!"

Yuuma frowned at his daughter. "I don't like the idea of you sneaking out of the house after dark to do _anything_, even if it's for a harmless little walk. Iana would be so depressed, her white-blond hair straggly, her face wet with tears…"

"Stop getting all sentimental about Mom," Iroha said.

A frown crossed Yuuma's face, as he held his daughter out at arm's length. "Why not?"

Len, at this moment, felt like he was trespassing on a private conversation, but he still could not move. It was a mixture of wonderment and sympathy as he gazed at Iroha, whose eyes were now accusingly fixed upon Yuuma's confused face. _Speaking of, wh__ere_ is_ Iroha's mom?_

He didn't have time to contemplate this question, however, when Yuuma turned on him. "Ah, Lenny," he said, a woeful edge to his voice, "wouldn't you just—"

_Smack._

Blinking in surprise, Len saw Yuuma clutching his back, wincing. Iroha's hand was held up in a threatening manner, and there was an overly irked expression on her face. "This is confidential family stuff," she said coolly. "Please leave."

* * *

_**A few days l****ater, in the present~**_

With a clunk, Len sat down his spoon and looked across the table where his mother would usually be sat. But she was on a vacation somewhere with her boyfriend (someone who he distinctly remembered as "Sora Suiga" who had an extremely big ego), leaving the house to himself. In annoyance, his eye twitched, and he suddenly had the urge to smash all of the silverware his mother used.

It was an idle Sunday morning; not really suitable for doing anything but relaxing. But surely Len couldn't relax with the likes of _her_ on his mind.

It was irritating, actually, how he was obsessing over something that other people would rule as "perfectly normal". _I should have left long, long ago anyway,_ Len mused, poking his spoon into the oatmeal he had made for himself but finding it utterly disgusting.

Len shoved his chair into the table and walked outside to check the mail.

* * *

**_A few days_ _before...  
_**

Iroha licked the envelope and sealed it shut, then walked outside to stick it in the mailbox for the mailman to pick up early in the morning. In it was a request that she desperately needed answered.

Really, it was stupid how she was asking him for a request when she coldly brushed him off just yesterday, but she couldn't think of anyone else to ask this.

_Yeah right. You only want to talk to him because it feels too awkward to talk to him face-to-face anymore._

"Shut up," she told the voice which said that, loudly. Yuuma, who was silently wiping the dishes from inside, gave her a strange look through the window. Iroha simply shrugged and stuck it in the mailbox.

"This should get to him before July 4th."

* * *

_**Present~**_

Reach him it did, and Len found himself wondering why there was an envelope sent from Rin's house addressed to him. Maybe he didn't take it out before, like it was a last parting wish before Rin moved—after all, there was _no way_ that Iroha would send him mail. But he shook that thought clean of himself; ever since Rin had moved away, Len had combed his mailbox thoroughly for any new mail. _I __guess it's time to find out,_ Len thought as he slit open the envelope.

And of course, the letter, written carefully with untidy scrawl, that met his eyes was a total surprise.

_Len—_

_God, I know this is f'cking stupid, but I need to ask you something. What was it again? Oh yeah, babysitting.  
_

_My dad told me to babysit this brat named Acme Iku because he felt like it. And when he feels like something, the results aren't good, usually. Well, I visited Iku and it turns out that she likes pretty much everything I don't like. So that already left a bad impression.  
_

_Can you help me?  
_

_I hate to present this to you in such a straightforward manner, but I need you to help me with the babysitting. You can just take over for me or help me with it at least.  
_

_I mean, I'll talk to you.  
_

_But if you're still pissed at me, that's fine and I understand it. Oh yeah, and the date's July 4th.  
_

_From—  
_

_Iroha  
_

'Straightforward manner'. Len laughed at that line. It sounded so clichéd to him…Iroha herself was very straightforward in a manner she could never realize. But July 4th?

Wasn't that Independence Day?

Len never liked Independence Day; it reminded him all too clearly and painfully of all of the struggles his own family had gone through. His alcoholic birth dad, who had once been a kind person before he took up drinking as a hobby. (Was his dad Kiyoteru Hiyama? Len didn't remember anymore.) His mother, finally gaining freedom from all of the beatings she received when he began drinking, and then began chasing after another chick—someone named Meiko, Len guessed. Then his mom changing and becoming a ruthless person, who played boys' hearts for fun, all because of…well, alcohol.

He had watched this all from the sidelines.

Len looked down at the piece of paper in his hands. It'd be a break from all those parades passing in front of his house. And anyway, he knew Acme Iku…she was Gumi's niece, and lived in the quieter parts of the town.

_Sure, why not?_

With a smile hinting to shine through, Len went back inside to write a reply letter.

* * *

_Dear Iroha,_

_Sure. I accept the request. :)  
_

_Where should we meet, anyway? I know Acme's address. Or do you just plan on not going at all?…You know, I understand that too. And no, I'm not…THAT pissed.  
_

_From,  
_

_Len  
_

* * *

Iroha unfolded the letter, and seeing what Len wrote, she smiled. At least he was a bit forgiving, the hypocrite she was…She glanced over at her father. Yuuma hadn't talked much to her since she slapped him on the back, and was now lounging on the couch reading a book. Iroha laid the crisp piece of paper on the table, and decided to go for a walk to see how things looked in the daylight.

At this, Yuuma looked up, a pink eyebrow cocked at the movement she made toward the door. "Where're you going?"

"Somewhere random…" Iroha expected him to jump up and start scolding her about the conversation they'd had that night, but instead he remained quiet and picked up the book.

Iroha shrugged and stepped outside.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The moment the sunshine hit her face, Iroha knew she had made a good decision. It was a wonderfully nice day; a shame that her friends back at Mizu Funmu couldn't come and see this. _Wait, what am I think__ing? I really _am_ the utter_ _hypocrite._

Iroha stuck her hands into her pockets and wandered around the part of town that she had seen that night. Gumi's Bakery: check. It in fact seemed open, and Iroha made a move to go up the slope to get something to eat, but she reminded herself that she didn't have any money—and besides, she didn't like going to somewhere with no reason but to talk. Iroha walked past the slope, to a grove of trees behind it. The park was just there…

Iroha saw no reason to go to Rosebush Park at this moment, so she avoided it and instead walked toward a gray sidewalk parallel to the road she was walking on now. Looking up, she saw a yellow sign that featured a black bicycle, but she couldn't figure out what that actually was supposed to mean.

_Huh. Whatever._

Iroha kicked a rock as she walked aimlessly on this sidewalk, not really caring where she was going to go.

She was just near the grove of trees behind the bakery when there was a loud scream behind her. Curious, Iroha glanced back to see what it was, and saw a biker speeding toward her at top speed.

It took her a few moments to realize that if she didn't move the rider was going to crash into her.

_That just supports the statement of me being a damn hypocrite._

Iroha made a move to sidestep but instead tripped over her own feet. Immediately she fell forward, her skirt billowing out, the rider of the bicycle making no move to stop.

A senseless scream left her lips.

And the only thing she remembered before she blacked out was the pain of a bicycle's wheel grinding on her ankle.

* * *

Iroha didn't stay in that faint stage for long; only a few minutes later, she guessed, that she woke up. The moment her eyes opened, Iroha felt a throbbing pain at her ankle…and looked down, a nightmare meeting her eyes.

Her ankle was turned at an odd angle, its bone a bit misadjusted.

Iroha opened her mouth to scream again, but no sound came out. Instead, she looked up accusingly into the worried eyes of the rider.

"I…I'm sorry," he said. He was a rather muscular guy with his brown hair slicked back, who would be rather good-looking, except for that line of silver…stuff across his forehead, which looked somewhat like a circlet. He wore something similar to what Iroha remembered Akaito wearing, except here it looked more like a motorcycle suit.

Miki would've fallen head-over-heels for him for sure.

But the pain in Iroha's ankle was too strong to be ignored, and this corrupted her image of this guy. She pointed down at her foot. "Can I ask what you did with it?"

The guy looked really uncomfortable. "I'm Big Al."

"What did you do with my ankle?" Iroha demanded, getting the idea that Big Al was trying to avoid her question.

Big Al looked down at the ankle. "I think it's…broken," he said, a bit nervously. "I–I mean, it's not bad or anything, it's just a bit banged-up and all…" He pointed up to the silver circlet. "These are stitches, I just fell down a week ago, and these are stitches, and I made them look really cool…oh yeah, that surgeon can make your stitches look cool, so you should really—"

"Thanks," Iroha interrupted, trying to get up. A little cry of pain escaped her lips and she fell down again. "I can't."

Big Al winced. "Must hurt pretty bad, huh."

Iroha glared at him. "Do you _mind_?" she asked, trying to use her other foot to steady herself as she pushed herself up.

Big Al got the hidden request and quickly rushed forward to assist. Maybe too rashly, because Iroha's arms felt like they were pulled out of her sockets. Nonetheless, she felt glad to be standing up again, but she eyed Big Al's bicycle apprehensively.

"It's not gonna bite," Big Al said.

"I know."

"So…I can take you to the hospital by bicycle."

"No thanks."

"Then how will you go anywhere?"

"Have a cell phone?"

"Yeah."

* * *

_10:30 p.m._

"I _knew_ that something else would happen," Yuuma cursed as he entered Iroha's sick room in the hospital. Len hurried after him, not wanting to lose the tall man in his long strides. Yuuma turned around and managed a thin-lipped smile at Len. "Thanks."

"It's okay," Len replied, quickening his pace. Truthfully, he wanted to see how Iroha was doing too. "Anyway, it's room 341." They stopped in front of a tall metal door. At this, Yuuma paused and put his hand on the knob apprehensively. Len knew what he felt like; when Rin got injured really badly, he didn't really want to enter her bedroom to see the wound.

"Do…you want to go in?" Yuuma asked, gesturing toward the door. Len raised an eyebrow.

"You can…?"

"Oh, whatever." Yuuma bravely twisted the doorknob. "Here goes."

* * *

**Maybe I should post a July-4th special, take a break from all of this writing. Review? Put your opinion in there too. Speaking of reviews, UGH, I HATE THE REVIEWING SYSTEM NOW. I already miss the pop-up window. :( It doesn't look more sophisticated at ALL. I much prefer the old design.**

**And anyway, this will definitely end soon.  
**

**God, where _are_ you guys? D: I don't hear from _any_ of you anymore...except for KaiKi2012, who recently reviewed. ^_^"  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	7. Chapter 6: Lemon and Strawberry Cake

**Eberhardt is just a German surname I found on about .com. That's all you have to know. :D  
**

* * *

_Chapter Six  
_

The moment Yuuma's willow green eyes landed upon Iroha and the desolate state of her ankle, he abandoned all of his masks and rushed to his daughter's side. "What the heck happened, Iroha?" he asked, shaking her by the shoulders. Iroha winced upon sitting up, and Yuuma quickly let her lie down again.

"I got…ran over," Iroha mumbled.

Yuuma's eyes widened. "What? Ran over?"

"Yeah, by a bicycle…" Iroha pointed down to her ankle. "Big Al's."

"Al's, huh."

"He called himself Big Al, but I think his real name is Albert or something…Oh yeah, Albert Eberhardt."

"Nice."

In the midst of filler chatter by Yuuma and Iroha, Len stuck in. "So…Iroha, are you okay?"

Iroha smiled weakly. "Yeah. I wouldn't be able to go babysit that Iku kid, though…"

Silence.

"I'll go for you," Len volunteered.

* * *

"Where did all of the days of the month go?" Len frowned as he drew his finger from June 30th on the calendar to July 4th. "I could've sworn, yesterday was the twenty-nineth, and the day before that was the first…"

A greenette was sitting on the couch, pouting and smoothing her maid uniform. "Le~enny," she whined.

Len sighed and turned around. Acme Iku was definitely notorious for being unnecessarily cute. _Why am I stuck __at babysitting anyway? Should've never agreed to Iroha's request._ "Yes, Acme?" he asked with a weariness only old men could give so far. But due to Acme, he concluded that he was aging early.

Acme brushed a strand of green hair behind her ear and looked over at Len, her eyes wide and pleading. "Can I go to the July 4th parade?"

_…Oh, no. No, no, no, no. _

"No," Len said, but with an indecisive edge to his voice. Acme caught this, and her eyes widened even more.

"But Lenny?" she whimpered. "Why can't…?"

_I'm succumbing to _this_ kid?_ Len thought, furious at himself. He had a record of never falling for that cute-eyed look—he wasn't born to accept it; and besides, he'd had plenty of practice with Rin.

"Please?"

Len's hand slammed down onto the counter, startling Acme. He breathed hard, trying to calm himself. Finally coming up with a solution, Len grudgingly gave permission to Acme to exit the house to join the parade—but only when the parade came around to the house, and he had to keep a watch on her at all times.

The moment Acme stepped outside, Len knew that he had made a wrong decision. Acme danced around, even though there _wasn't_ any parade (yet), and she kept begging him to allow her to go to the snack vendors which had been set up the day before by greedy shopkeepers. Those shopkeepers were like vultures; any scrap of meat that fell upon them were immediately made into profit. Len frowned, casting his gaze at a particular snack-selling person who looked quite like Akaito but had blue hair.

"No."

"Aw, but Le~en~ny!"

Acme was extremely annoying.

"No," Len said adamantly.

"Just for some food?"

"Why don't you get some from the cupboard?"

"Because I don't~want~to."

A sigh escaped Len's lips as he looked around for the parade. The entire neighborhood was quiet; no parade yet. _I wish I could get away from here…I mean, even the hospital in which Iroha is in would be fine…_

"I'm going to Gumi's bakery," Len announced.

"Can I tag along?" Acme looked hopeful.

_…I feel bad for myself already._

* * *

The doorbell jangled as Len and Acme entered Gumi's Bakery. The aroma of pastries baking immediately filled Len's nostrils, and for a moment as he breathed in the heavenly scent like it was an exotic perfume he forgot all about Acme. But he was immediately reminded when Gumi, who was behind the counter, looked up in surprise and her peridot eyes widening in delight when she saw her niece.

"Acme!" Gumi exclaimed, a grin rippling across her face.

"Auntie!" Acme ran out from behind Len and climbed over the counter to give Gumi a big hug. "How are you doing, Auntie Gumi?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Oh, I'm great. Walking on cloud nine." Gumi winked at Len. "Any orders?"

Len's eyes combed the counter. Today Gumi was all for the reminder of Independence Day. The shelves were stacked full of red velvet cakes with white icing and topped with blue frosting. Flag-shaped doughnuts peeked out behind metal bars. In the back on the room, popcorn popped with such ferocity it reminded Len distinctly of fireworks. But whatever met his eyes did not please him as much as when he saw what he specifically wanted; however, he didn't _want_ anything. Was that the case, or was that more?

Len couldn't decipher his own feelings sometimes.

"Hmm, Len?" Gumi prodded, raising an eyebrow. Acme was holding the tongs, ready to take out whatever Len wanted.

Len's eyes landed on a yellow-and-pink cake laced with pale pink frosting and delicate rosebuds spun out of the finest strands of honey. It was held in a glass case that held other types of ice cream cakes. A sign propped in front of it read _Design your own figurine: __occasion cake_. Gumi caught him staring at it.

"It's my best creation so far," she said, sliding open the glass door and taking out the cake carefully, setting it on the counter. "You can order a figurine made out of marzipan—or two, depending on the occasion, but this is a cake reserved for events."

"Aren't all cakes?" Len asked, hearing himself laugh the first time in quite some time.

Gumi grinned cheekily. "Yes, that…" Before she had time to finish, the doorbell jangled another time, and a tall, well-built pink-haired man walked in.

* * *

"M–Mr. Nekomura?" Len asked curiously.

Yuuma's face registered shock and surprise when he saw the blond boy who reminded him so much of Luna Amane casually standing there in front of the bakery owner. "Oh, hello, Len."

"You two know each other?" Len and Yuuma nodded. "Well, what would you like?" Gumi asked.

To Len's dismay, Yuuma looked right at the cake Len had taken a liking to. "I would like…that one," he said, pointing at the cake. "Except…can it last a month?"

"Its endurance is unmatched," Gumi said proudly. _No, don't say anything more,_ Len pleaded her silently. He had, admittedly, been thinking about buying that cake for Iroha to enjoy; after all, she'd experienced so much trauma in her first days in this town.

"I'd like you to keep it in hold for a month," Yuuma said. He glanced at Len, who looked surprised when he looked Len's way. "And…what's this about the figurines?"

"I just explained it to Len. This is an occasion cake, and you can model any one or two figurines based on what you like, except it costs extra money," Gumi said. She tapped her fingers on the metal counter; it made a strange tinkly, hollow sound. Acme stared off in the distance, and Gumi chuckled. "So, Mr. Nekomura, what do you say?"

"I'm Yuuma. Also…I'd like to order the figurines…privately."

"Right. I can do that…pop in anytime."

"Also, what's the name?" Len stopped listening at this point, but when Gumi spoke, he perked up.

"Lemon and Strawberry Cake."

* * *

"Getting used to the crutch?" asked a nurse, smiling. Iroha limped around, trying to make use of the tool, but she wasn't familiar with it and often tripped.

"It hurts."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. Meanwhile, what about a little trip outside of the hospital?"

"I'd like that, thanks."

* * *

**Near the end~! Everyone, please stay with me!**

**(BTW: I finished _Oh, the Regret._ Oh, the joy.)  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	8. Chapter 7: Out of the Hospital

**For some reason, I created another obstacle for myself...  
**

**But nonetheless, I bring you the next** **chapter.~ **

* * *

_Chapter Seven_

The crutches made a hollow clopping sound as Iroha limped her way down the street just outside of the hospital that had become very familiar to her over to days she stayed there. She made her way to the taxi stop, before turning to the nurse who was supervising her very closely on the orders of the director, because of the "poor state of her ankle".

"I think I can go home now, thanks," she said plainly.

The nurse's brow furrowed with a frown. "Iroha, you can't just go home by taking a taxi. You need the permission from the director, and your dad has to pick you up. It's not as simple as you think. But we can place a call to him today."

"Can I talk to him?"

"As soon as you finish your walk."

* * *

Len's fingers tapped quickly on the keyboard as he typed. Because of very subtle stalking, he had found out what Yuuma's email address was, and in it he asked a question. Len felt a bit guilty as he clicked the _Send_ button; he didn't even ask Acme's parents whether he could use the computer in the living room or not. But all fears washed away when he added Yuuma to his contacts and realized that Yuuma, too, was online.

Intrigued, Len typed a chat message.

_Len (00:47:12):_ Hello?

There was no response. Yet. Len tilted his head to the side, his eye catching Acme's hunched figure. Acme, apparently, had become inspired for the visit to her aunt's bakery, and was now attempting some kind of masterpiece with clay.

Before Len could think anymore about Acme, a ping signified that Yuuma had replied.

_PinkHairedGuy (00:47:48):_ Sorry for the late reply. It's Len, isn't it?

"PinkHairedGuy"? That was Yuuma's chat screen name? Len couldn't help but feel a bit amused—Iroha was so mature, but her father seemed to still have a bit of a child in him.

_Len (00:47:55):_ Yeah.

A loud, distinct crash in Acme's direction distracted him. Len looked over, expecting some disaster, but it just turned out that Acme knocked over a few flyswatters while reaching for more clay on the counter. She shot him a rosy-cheeked, flustered smile before quickly grabbing the clay off the counter.

"You know—" Len began, but didn't have a chance to finish because of a huge bang.

"The fourth!" Acme exclaimed excitedly, and she ran outside before Len had a chance to catch her.

_PinkHairedGuy (00:48:16):_ So what are you going to ask~?

A squiggly line?

_Len (00:48:18):_ brb

* * *

Len found Acme outside, laughing as she saw the parade round the corner. Len slapped his forehead, knowing that something bad was going to happen; Acme turned to him, saying, "Isn't this great?"

"Great?" Sky blue eyes rolled upwards to the real sky. _What part of this is great?_

Len's eye caught on the blue-haired guy who was still selling weenies as far as he was concerned. Funny, because…wasn't that a girl—who he didn't notice before—in front of him…? And she had blond hair, shoulder-length just as Len remembered it, ice-blue eyes like before, but what was most distinguishable was that white bow perched atop her head—

"Rin!" Len screamed, abandoning the thoughts that lingered upon his head about Acme, and rushing toward the girl. The surprised petite girl turned.

"Len!" she exclaimed, and hopped over the refreshment stand's table to engulf him in a crushing embrace.

In all this excitement, Len had nearly forgotten Acme; but she stood in front of them, her hands on her hips.

"Don't I deserve a greeting, too?"

"Acme!" laughed Rin, giving her a small hug too. For some reason, she always had an attachment to the greennette that Len wasn't ever able to understand.

"What gave you the idea that you had to visit _today_?" Len moaned. Why did he had to _babysit_ today? Taking care of Acme would get in the way of all the fun he was going to have with Rin once again. He grimaced at the thought—Acme and her grinning self, ruining all the fun Len would ever have with Rin in one day's time.

Rin raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "You mean you don't want me to?"

"N–no, I just wanted to know why…"

Rin nodded enthusiastically. "Well, Kaito my friend there decided to sell hot dogs and ice cream to the parade people…_so_ clichéd, right? Except he wouldn't hear of it…"

"Kaito?" Len blinked. For a moment, he was sure she said _Akaito…_

"Yeah. You know, Akaito's cousin?"

Aha. That was why.

"He's visiting for this weekend." Rin grinned. "I'm so happy."

Len's eyebrow twitched. _Is Rin in love_? Nonetheless, he did not think about it when Rin snatched up his wrist and Acme's and headed in the direction of Kaito's stand.

* * *

Yuuma hopped out of the car, facing the towering building once again. But this time, it was a happy expression on his face, not a grim one, as he headed toward the glass doors, for he was getting Iroha out of this hospital, kudos to the call he received just the moment he exited Gumi's Bakery.

* * *

"Kaito Shion," introduced the bluehead as he extended his arm.

"Len Kagamine," Len replied, shaking his hand timidly. He felt rather intimidated in the tall man's presence; how could Rin, who was just as short as him, stand so tall and straight?

Kaito seemed to have noticed the nervousness that was practically pouring out of his body in huge psychic waves, because he smiled reassuringly and gestured toward the stand. "So, would you and the girl over there—"

"Acme," said Acme, blushing furiously.

"Yes, Acme," Kaito said. "Would you and the girl—Acme—assist me in selling these hot dogs?" He reached into a cabinet which had been installed into his stand, and pulled out a piping hot wiener. There was only one thing—that one side was completely scorched and had turned into carbon in its elemental form.

"You're not used to him, but he's nice," Rin whispered to Len as she took her spot next to Kaito's again, and grabbed a loudspeaker that was sitting on the desk. People milled in front, behind, and past her in all kinds as the parade marched near.

"HOT DOGS FOR SALE! HOT DOGS FOR SALE!" Rin hollered, and Len winced.

_Geez, she still can shout._

But while Len stood there like an idiot, he felt strangely detached from Rin now, as if he was left out. It was funny; a feeling he had never experienced once when he was hanging out with Rin before. Like she was almost…leaving him out.

* * *

"So shall we check up on Len and how he's babysitting Acme?" Yuuma asked, smiling, once they were back in the house. He seemed to have forgotten Iroha's harshness on him a week and a few days before;_ did the broken ankle attract his attention to other topics?_ Iroha wondered, cranking up the computer, but Yuuma laid a hand on hers when she was just about to type the password.

"You ought to get some fresh air sometime."

"Dad," whined Iroha, in a way that surprised her herself. "I had plenty of fresh air."

"Yes, and that was a few days ago." Yuuma hoisted her up onto his back, no matter how she protested. "Come on," he told his daughter sternly. "Let's go to Acme's house to assist poor Len in his babysitting."

_And I'll drop you off…and let the magic happen…and order how the figurines are going to be shaped to_ _Gumi…_

* * *

Iroha limped clumsily on her crutches as she gingerly made her way through the crowd. It was obviously Independence Day—she had lost track of the days when she was in the hospital (for four days)—as people were carrying flags of all shapes and sizes to cheer on the sidewalk. She was aiming at a tea-green house in the edge of Quiescent Court. _Not so quiet anymore,_ she thought with a smile.

She finally got to the door, but just as she was going to knock, she noticed a blond boy with a greennette associating with another blond girl and a bluehead. _Huh._ _That blonde boy looks like…_ Intrigued, Iroha went over for a closer look.

* * *

**Rather short, and the events are arranged rather clumsily, but...I'M HAVING WRITER'S BLOCK ON THIS.**

**Right at the very moment where it's about to get to the climax! NUUUUUUU! ;_; HOW COULD I?  
**

**But apparently I am, so updates may come slower depending on my mood/the amount of inspiration I have at bay...  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	9. Chapter 8: More Introductions

**Figured I might as well update as fast as possible, though my schedule is strained even though it's summer...-.-|| Enjoy~  
**

* * *

_Chapter Eight _

Iroha could now tell, even with her about ten feet away, with a bunch of people constantly moving, that it was obviously Len. He was apparently chatting happily with the girl who seemed so similar to him, with Acme by his side and blushing hard, while sneaking glances at the blue-haired man.

Iroha liked none of it.

For some reason, a pang of annoyance smothered with doubt stabbed at her insides. A wave of fear suddenly washed over her, and she felt a chill of jealousy rise up from her spine, but laughed it off.

_I always believed in legends, but they don't come close as _this_ true._

She squeezed through the crowd, pausing only at small intervals to say "Sorry" or something else apologetic. It was actually hard to get through ten feet with such people thick on the streets. But eventually she reached Len, and stood behind him for some time until the blonde girl said hesitantly,

"Uh, Len…there's someone behind you."

At this Len whipped around (finally) to a rather incensed Iroha.

"I–Iroha!" he exclaimed, his cheeks flushing as a symbol of his awkwardness. "U–uh, why are you here?"

"Why _shouldn't_ I be here?" Iroha asked. Maybe she was taking this a bit too sensitively, but for some reason the happy state of Len and the blonde girl were together was pissing her off for no apparent reason.

"I–I don't know…I just thought you'd stay in the hospital longer, I guess…"

"Well, _for your information,_ mister," Iroha pointed out, "I only stayed for four days. What did you expect?"

"I didn't _expect _anything." Len looked hurt, and Iroha immediately felt bad for what she just said. Len cleared his throat, and pointed toward the blonde girl. "This is Rin, and the blue-haired man next to her is Kaito, and this one is Acme." Iroha's clear golden eyes, reminiscent of the nectar that flowed out of lilies, stared into Acme's grass-green ones.

"Nice," she said simply.

"R…Right." Len was forcing a smile, Iroha could tell.

"Mind if I…borrow him for a second?" she asked, averting her gaze from Acme's eyes, and stared calmly into Rin's sky blue ones. Rin gave a start.

"Well…Len, if you…"

"Alright," Len mumbled, the blush still hot on his cheeks, and allowed Iroha to drag him behind Acme's home.

* * *

"So is Rin the girl you were talking to me in the park about?" Iroha asked immediately once they were behind the tea-green shelter. "And everywhere else?" Len nodded, a bit miserably, Iroha was surprised to see.

"What's wrong?" she asked, tuning her voice to a softer level.

Len swallowed, as if not sure what she'd do. "Can I trust you with this?" His eyes were wide in his face—for a moment, he looked like a vulnerable little child. But soon Len collected himself and continued, "Well, ever since she's left I've been wishing she was going to come back one day, but now that she did…" He kicked at a shrub. "I don't know what to think."

Iroha nodded, a bit sagely for her own taste. "Right."

Len's head shot up, amused. "Can you say something _other_ than that?"

"You think she's changed," Iroha said, ignoring Len's comment, "even though it's only been like two weeks." She smiled knowingly as she saw Len's eyes widen. "Well, I should be harboring that feeling of worry right now, because when I go back to Mizu Fumnu Miki, Teto, and Momo would probably think the same thing about me."

"Who?"

"Oh, I forgot. They're my old friends."

Len nodded. "Aha."

Both were quiet for a moment, not sure about what each would say next. Then Iroha spoke up.

"Well, let me get used to this girl Rin."

"She wouldn't like you saying that—" Len began, but stopped short when he saw the rare grin alighting Iroha's face.

"I was only kidding."

* * *

"Finished borrowing him?" Rin immediately teased Iroha the moment as they walked back over to Kaito's stand, as if she and Iroha were good friends already. Len caught Iroha's eye and made a small gesture, as if saying, _She does that everytime when she me__ets someone new._

"Yes," Iroha said, limping over. Rin's eyes traveled down to the cast on her ankle.

"Did something happen?" she asked with a childish anxiety that Iroha never knew a fourteen-year-old could carry.

"She got ran over," Len answered Rin, a bit too quickly for his own tastes. He caught Rin staring at him with a funny look on her face, as if she wasn't sure if something was happening between him and Iroha. But that look disappeared quickly, and was replaced by an expression of concern.

"Must be bad," Rin said sympathetically.

"I'm fine." Iroha brushed off the comment like one would brush off a fly.

"You are? …Alright."

Kaito cleared his throat loudly, and the four looked over at him. He grinned widely, holding up a much more decent-looking hot dog with tongs. "Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

The sky was a smoothie of colors flowing in and darting out. The setting sun filled the sky with its bright saffron shine as it dropped on the west horizon. The yellow deepened to a creamy apricot orange, and that faded to pastel pink as Len's eyes traced the sky upwards. The pink, in turn, kissed a sea-green sky that was pierced with knives of smooth lilac. Shades of a lighthearted gray danced around, coming in here and disappearing there. Anything standing in the way of this magnificent show was a dark, opaque shape.

Iroha joined Len on the porch steps. "Pretty, isn't it?" she asked abruptly, settling down onto a swing that Yuuma had built in just the day before. Len's eyes darted back at her in surprise.

"Rin and Kaito are still here?"

"They planned to stay for today and tomorrow. Kaito's eighteen, so he can do whatever he pleases until he's shipped off to college, and Rin got permission from her mother. Of course Dad would let them, because he's such a social guy." Iroha shrugged, her eyes concentrated on a wispy cloud, illuminated vermilion, that floated anywhere and had no real destination. " _'Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning; red sky in the night, sailor's delight'_," she remarked.

"Only expected of a July day." Len plopped down on the cushion next to her, making the swing sway.

Iroha wobbled, nearly losing her balance and falling down on her bad ankle. She grabbed the chain that held the swing in the place just in time. "You honestly need to be more careful," she grumbled, leaning back into the seat.

Len raised an eyebrow at her but did not say anything.

"Acme had a lot of fun," he commented subconsciously, just in the sake of starting a conversation.

"So I've heard."

The blonde boy fell quiet, letting his sky blue eyes drift around, taking in things as they pleased. Much of his thoughts lingered on the lemon and strawberry cake. He honestly wanted it for Iroha…but he still couldn't put a finger to why.

"Iroha," Len interrupted, breaking the silence, "when's your birthday?"

"I'd like it to be in August, but no, it's October…"

"No wonder you love those cat ears. They are a symbol of Halloween…"

"Shut up. They're stylish."

Len snuck a glance at Iroha. She wasn't wearing her cat-eared hat, but she was wearing two velvety black cat ears. He fell back into his seat, and mumbled, "Rin sure thinks so."

"With that personality of hers, I should guess she does."

The big problem about Iroha was that she terminated a conversation the moment the other person she spoke with finished their sentence, unless it was something that she liked talking about. Not that she didn't like talking about Rin and cat ears; it simply served little to no importance to her. It was, for Iroha, "idle chatter", and she wasn't someone who was particularly talkative, unlike her old friends.

"That reminds me," Iroha suddenly said. "My dad was talking about Gumi's Bakery…something about figurines."

"Uh-huh." _Stop talking about it,_ Len pleaded inwardly. _I don't want to linger about that subject__…makes me feel defeated._

"And he left a half-hour earlier or something—don't give me that look, Len, Kaito's taking care of the house—so I'm kind of curious about what he was talking about the figurines. You want to go or something?"

To be truthful, Len wanted to know what he was going to put atop the cake too.

"I'm going." He stood up and brushed off his shorts, but just as quickly sat down again. Iroha gave him a questioning look.

"Are you okay with going up the hill with that crutch—"

"I'm fine, just tell Kaito we're going to be gone for awhile."

* * *

**Done. XP ON INDEPENDENCE DAY~! HAPPY JULY 4TH!**

**I miss the fireworks. ;_; But I'm too old to be shooting off the fireworks anyway...  
**

**Going to work on other things now~!  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	10. Chapter 9: Freshly Baked Goods

**Seriously...I love FanFiction. Net WAY more than I could ever love Quizilla. And that's because of FanFiction. Net's awesome publishing system. Even though I hate their recent changes to the reviewing system. But there's something wrong these days - about the email thingy. I'm not getting alerts anymore... **

* * *

_Chapter Nine_

"…Are you sure?" Gumi's eyes twinkled as she clapped her hand over her mouth, silently laughing. Yuuma was smiling too.

"Well, since I can tell that he's totally smitten with my daughter, who else?"

Gumi shook her head, still hiding her mouth with her hands. "This will be fun to shape. Thank you, Mr. Nekomura—that is, you prefer to be called Yuuma, right? Yuuma, then. I must say, I'm amused…"

"But just remember," Yuuma said quickly, "it's not a birthday cake…"

"I know. Iroha will get her cast taken off by August, right? I'm guessing, you want to celebrate that?"

"Gumi," Yuuma said, impressed, "you're sharp." Gumi only laughed.

"Being a bakery owner, I can't help but _not_ be sharp…It does get annoying when I often find myself to be meddling in others' businesses, but it's always good to know what your customers are ordering about. You don't want to decorate a cake with 'Happy Birthday' when it's actually an offering to the tombstone, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah. And I also need to talk to Len…"

"Yes, I saw that look of disappointment on his face."

Yuuma was surprised. "He was _disappointed_?"

Gumi nodded. "Let's just say that he wanted that cake too. For what reason, I don't know, but he had that look on his face."

* * *

"Can you hear anything?" Len muttered to Iroha out of the corner of his mouth. Iroha shook her head. "I can't either."

"Can you move a bit?" she whispered. "I need more room, my crutch hurts when it's pressed against my rib bone." Len shifted to the right.

"That's okay, right?"

"Thanks."

Both fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Len scooted closer to the edge, and could just hear Gumi saying something about disappointment on someone's face. Intrigued, he pressed a finger to his lips and gestured toward the crack, winking at Iroha. Iroha got the message and limped forward, but her foot slipped on a steep chunk of the hill.

A silent scream escaped her lips, but Len grabbed her arm and pulled her upward.

"Who's got to be careful now?" he teased her in a low voice playfully. A rust-colored blush tinted Iroha's cheeks, and she turned her face away.

"What are they talking about, anyway?" she mumbled.

_"Were,"_ Len corrected. "I only heard a part about Gumi talking about disappointment…I don't know where that comes in…"

Iroha used her crutch as a support to get closer to a crack and pressed her ear to it. Inside the bakery, she could hear her father saying, _…He was disappointed?_ in his signature surprised voice.

"Gumi's saying that that guy wanted the cake too," Iroha mumbled. "What cake?"

_Lemon and Strawberry Cake._ But Len couldn't tell her that…if Gumi made a replica anytime soon, he was going to be the first to buy it.

"I don't know," he answered lamely.

Iroha cocked an eyebrow. "Huh. Ooooooo…kay."

Len didn't want to hear any more of the conversation. "In any case, we should be going by now." He expected Iroha to argue, but she simply nodded as he began his way down the slope, back to Iroha's house.

* * *

_While that was happening, back at Iroha's house~_

"You honestly think a cake shaped like an orange sherbet ice cream cone will make them remember us more?" Rin groaned as Kaito popped the unbaked cake in the oven. They had been making the cake since Len and Iroha had gotten outside, which was a long time ago. The bluehead, hearing her comment, turned around and smiled.

"Well, it's something for their hospitality."

Rin leaned against the counter. "We can just be courteous about it."

"It doesn't matter," Kaito replied as he set the timer. "Anyway, I have some leftover hot dogs. Want to look around for a movie?"

"Now who's being nice?" Rin asked, though the sound of snuggling with Kaito on the couch was very enticing. "It's not _my_ house anymore—it's Iroha's. In any case, we can make shadow puppets out of that leftover wrapping you used for those hot dogs."

Kaito brightened up. "Good idea."

* * *

_On the walk to Iroha's home~_

Len felt very awkward as he walked with Iroha who was limping along with a broken ankle. Kicking a rock around, it was anything _but_ social at the moment. Even though it was a fairly short walk, he was still not used to the quietness of Iroha compared to Rin's constant chatter.

"So…" Len ended up saying at last.

He was surprised twice that night. Instead of brushing off the conversation, Iroha jerked her thumb at the clumps of dark trees across from the street. "So…it's early evening and the sun's setting…and when you look at that for the first time without knowing that they're trees, what do you see? Or think?"

"Huh?" Len was caught by surprise; he didn't know how to respond.

"Come on, use your imagination. Since you were so good at describing, I would expect you to be good at this too."

Len took a glance at the dark fir trees clumped closely together. Their tops looked like brazen, sharp points of spears, lined up and ready to pierce the sky; their trunks were like candleholders, and he began at last, "I think…"

* * *

_Meanwhile, back at Iroha's home~_

"Look, an owl!" Kaito laughed as Rin tried to fold her sheep together to create the illusion of owl wings.

"You fail."

Rin stuck her tongue out at him. "It's not like you can do any better," she retorted, her gaze landing on Kaito's poorly made person, which looked more like a scorched frying pan.

"I don't care." Kaito leaned in, and Rin gasped.

For the kiss was sweet and soft, a simple, light kiss; not the rough, passionate ones that she had longed for. But yet it seemed to fill her heart and set it with wings. Kaito's tongue pleaded entrance to her lips; she teased him for a little, holding them firmly shut, but after a while the tickling became too much to bear, and Rin finally gave in. Smirking, Kaito's tongue roamed every part of her mouth. Rin and Kaito would have stayed like this for a very long time if not for a ringing of the doorbell and the smell of freshly-baked cake.

They jerked apart, faces beet red.

_I'm such a_ _pedophile… _Kaito scolded himself.

_What am I, making out with someone like…_ Rin turned her eyes away.

The shrill sound of the timer made them jump.

"Shit," Kaito said, laughing awkwardly. "I…I'll go get the cake…and ice it…"

"R–right," Rin stammered. "And I'll go get the door."

* * *

"Rin…" Len took his childhood friend in. Her lips were wet and a bit swollen, and a blush was carpeted across her cheeks, making her sky blue eyes only seem more lighter than ever. "What happened?"

Rin's blush darkened.

Iroha, being a girl, realized what they did and smiled to herself. She grabbed a still-confused Len's arm, and marched him by Rin.

"It's confidential privacy, Len. You've got to know when to respect that."

"O–oh," Len said, his face coloring too when he realized what he'd just done.

* * *

"AND BEHOLD, THE ORANGE CAAAAAAAKE~!" Kaito yelled, making all of them jump. With a flourish, he pulled the cheesecloth off of a small chocolate cake that was iced with orange frosting and beige for the cone.

"Is there something special happening today?" Iroha asked, blinking.

Kaito grinned. "No, just felt like it…"

"As a little 'memorial'," Rin explained, making air quotes when she said _memorial._ "So we can be…I dunno, remembered by you."

Iroha smiled. "I most certainly will…"

Len frowned down at his slice of cake. _When did she become less tsundere?_ he wondered. _Or is that how she acts when she's hanging around people like Kaito and Rin? Or maybe— _His breath caught in his throat. _Or maybe it's her _real_ personality?_

"Len?" Len blinked. Iroha's golden eyes were staring into his own.

"A–aha, yes!" he said quickly, picking up a fork. His own laugh sounded clumsy to his ears. "I–I'll dig in right away!"

Iroha and Rin gave him weird looks of their own.

"Okay," Rin said hesitantly.

"As you wish…" Iroha mumbled, cutting a piece of her own cake.

* * *

**Done~! Finished in 20 minutes. XD I do work fast when I want to...**

**Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed~!  
**

**I love Matryoshka by 96neko and VipTenchou...  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	11. Chapter 10: To Blush, and Some Schemes

**I hate FanFiction. Net's new updates. D: Come on, in the forums...**

**Isn't this ironic? Just the last chapter I was talking about how much I LOOOOVED FanFiction. Net...but seriously. Stop with the changes. TT^TT I'm not a changing person, that's all. I prefer older stuff, memories...  
**

* * *

_Chapter 10 _

The cake was surprisingly chocolaty. Iroha's teeth bit down on something hard—for a moment she panicked, thinking it was a nut, but after chewing further it melted on her mouth reminiscent of a chunk of dark chocolate. After swallowing her first bite of the chocolate cake with sugary, tangy orange frosting, Iroha wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked Kaito, "What _is_ in that cake?"

"What?" Kaito looked confused.

"I ate something that tasted like dark chocolate but it felt like a nut," Iroha replied, equally confused.

Rin and Kaito swapped glances. "I _told_ you," Rin finally said, "that they wouldn't like the dark chocolate."

"Huh—? No, it's fine," said a bewildered Iroha. "I just meant—"

Kaito didn't seem to hear her. "But Rin!" he complained, in a childish voice that shocked Len. "Dark chocolate is healthy! Healthier than the milk chocolate you suggested, anyway," he added.

"Well, milk chocolate is healthier than the ice cream you wanted to stick in there…"

"But that's _ice cream!_"

"Do you _know_ how many calories are in ice cream? Oranges are _so _much better."

"But an orange slice in the cake would clash with the flavor!"

"I _know_ that! I'm just saying…"

"Well…"

"Seriously, you guys," Len sighed, causing Rin and Kaito to break up their argument for a moment to look at him, "you two…you two…"

"You have chocolate on your upper lip," Rin said bluntly.

Len took a napkin off of the table and with one untimed swipe he smeared the chocolate. Seemingly sensing that he didn't fully wipe it off, he took the napkin again and successfully removed all traces of chocolate. "Now," Len said, "you two…"

"Are like geese?"

"Are idiots?"

"You're the idiot, Kaito. Are like sheep?"

"Oranges?"

"Ice cream?"

"Are like—"

"You two are like husband and wife," Iroha cut in.

"WHAAAAT?" Both Rin and Kaito jumped up violently, Rin nearly knocking over Len's plate and Kaito getting his beloved scarf dipped into his plate of cake. Even Len seemed surprised, as he had dropped his fork, which clattered to the floor.

Iroha calmly set down her eating utensil. "You two are like husband and wife."

Rin and Kaito were both red-faced, and refused to look at each other. The same thought channeled through both of their heads: _How di__d she guess there was something between us?  
_

"We're not…" Kaito finally began.

"…husband and wife," Rin finished, avoiding all of their gazes.

"Interesting." Iroha picked up her fork and cut another dainty piece of her cake. "Mmh?" She raised an eyebrow at the stares she was being fed—Len's, Rin's, and Kaito's.

"Let's talk about college," Kaito said finally.

Rin crossed her arms over her chest. "College sucks."

Kaito looked at her in surprise.

"College sucks," Rin explained, "because Kaito'll be shipped off to—" She clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she was saying. Rin's face turned about twenty shades of red—the third time she'd blushed profusely this afternoon, and all in Kaito's, Len's, and Iroha's presence. "Excuse me," Rin mumbled, turning and heading for the bathroom.

"I'll go with her," Kaito said quickly, jumping up from his chair.

Len and Iroha were left alone, sitting there awkwardly with nothing to do—Len was. "So," Len said finally, "you guys didn't trim that rosebush in front of your house?"

Iroha gave him a strange look. "My dad said he couldn't…or wouldn't. Why?"

"Nothing." If Iroha didn't know, why should Len tell her? It was really personal anyway.

Iroha shrugged and went back to staring at her cake. "So, about the thing about the trees yesterday…where were we? The imagination game, remember?"

"Yeah, I said that they were medieval-castle-themed."

"Huh. I thought of them more like pizza slices."

Len stopped in midbite and choked; Iroha gave him a hard slap on the back, and Len coughed, seemingly have swallowed his chunk of cake. "Why…? Pizza slices…?"

"Aren't you going to say 'thank you' first?" Iroha asked.

"Thank you."

"Geez, boys these days…"

"Sorry."

"Back to pizzas. So what do you mean, 'why'? Can't I think of them as pizza slices? It's imagination, after all…"

"I _said_ sorry!" There was a hint of a whine in Len's voice; _it must be Rin rubbing off on him,_ thought Iroha.

Little did they know, a pink-haired man with a blonde girl and a bluehead were spying on them from behind the door. The girl's hand flew up to her mouth as she giggled at Len's face, which was red. The blue-haired man tapped her gently on the back, as a reminder to be quiet. The pink-haired man was smiling, holding a box in his hands.

* * *

"And then we, we, we, CRAAASSSSSH THE PAAAAAARTY~!" Yuuma hollered as he threw open the door to the kitchen; Len and Iroha jumped apart from each other, eyeing each other nervously like the other was about to explode.

"Did you, uh, see anything just now?" Len asked awkwardly.

Rin's hands were folded across her tiny chest, but she couldn't help smiling like an idiot. "You were feeding each other cake."

"That was only because—" Iroha's face was redder than Len ever thought of before. "That was only because he was not eating his cake," she said as a lame excuse; it was actually kind of fun shoving a fork laden with cake into Len's mouth.

"Yeah, right," Rin said, still grinning. She walked up to the pinkette and clapped her on the back. "Good luck with Lenny."

"I'm—" Iroha turned redder.

"I'll be cheering you on," Rin whispered in her ear. Iroha only nodded numbly, the rest of her body still as a statue.

"I'd like to talk to Len about this," Yuuma said, holding out the box. Len raised an eyebrow in anticipation and curiosity; he couldn't help but notice _Gumi's Bakery_ stamped on the box.

_The cake?_ Iroha mouthed to Len, who shrugged and followed Yuuma to the other room.

* * *

"Now that we have the kitchen to ourselves, Iroha, WHY NOT CHAT ABOUT YOUR BUDDING RELATIONSHIP WITH LEN~?" Kaito shouted at once when Len left, grinning and holding a spatula in his hand. "I can JUST IMAGINE IT, ten years from now, YOU AND LEN WALKING DOWN THE AISLE—"

"Did you just become crazy?" Iroha asked.

Rin giggled. "No, he's usually like this, but there's something about Len that makes him more…"

"Polite?" Kaito offered.

"Yeah, polite."

"It's pretty obvious that you two are in love with each other," Rin continued. "Just like…"  
Immediately Rin slapped her hand over her mouth again. "Just like…ahahahaha…like my mom and dad," she said, forcing a laugh.

"You meant you and Kaito," Iroha pointed out.

"…"

"Anyway, we're here to talk about you," Kaito said immediately, jumping up. "Rin and I are…uh, in a steady relationship, so…we don't need any help…HAHAHAHAHA. Now _you_ and _Len_…It's something we've GOT TO WORK ABOUT."

Rin nodded in agreement. "You two are avoiding each other."

"We're not avoiding each other!" Iroha argued. "We were talking…"

"Oh, but avoiding your feelings, Iroha," Rin replied mischievously. "So while in the bathroom, Kaito and I decided—"

"You even go to the bathroom together?"

"—Kaito and I decided that you and Len are to kiss each other tonight."

"What, _what_?" Iroha cried helplessly as Rin grabbed one wrist of hers and Kaito took the other. They helped her with her crutch. "Wait—wait—wait a second—"

"And off to Mr. Nekomura's room you go~!" Kaito announced, shepherding Iroha down the hallway.

* * *

**This one is loaded with dialogue...XD Did you like it? Now Kaito's beginning to sound like an idiot again -.- Hope you guys don't mind.**

**I know that a lot of people don't support KaiRin, but in this case, I thought they'd look nice together...And their baby can be Gachapoid because of a combination of yellow and blue is green...OKAY I'M GETTING PERVERTED. -.-|| Perverted chapters make me perverted. SCHEMING KAITO AND RIN~ XD  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	12. Chapter 11: Getting Together

**WAAAAAHHHH I feel so sentimental right now... ;( Wait, that happens a lot... *cries in corner*  
Enjoy the story...Though this is not the type of story my mood would fit in... **

* * *

_Chapter 11_

Len got the distinct feeling that Yuuma was up to something. He could feel the waves of nervous energy vibrating from the older man's inner core, spreading around the room. He stood in the corner of Yuuma bedroom, standing in slight apprehension as Yuuma fumbled around with the cake's wrapping.

"Want some help?" Len finally asked, not able to stand the suspense any longer.

Yuuma looked up, his jade green eyes wide. "No, it's okay…" He clumsily fiddled with the ribbon. "Miss Gumi made it so tight…I'm not used to this kind of tie," he explained, giving up and trying to wrench the ribbon off by force.

Len walked over, perplexed, and squatted down, taking the box from Yuuma's grip and easily unraveling the ribbon. "You untie it like this." He dropped the ribbon and started to open the box—but Yuuma immediately pounced on it, surprising Len, who backed up. Embarrassed, Yuuma got up and brushed himself off.

"I wanted to show you in a much more fancier way…" he mumbled.

Len leapt back as if the box was contagious. "Sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Yuuma had returned to his cheerful self and poised his hand just above the box's opening. "Come on, are you going to see what's in here or not—"

"Sure."

"Gumi was telling me about you the other day," Yuuma explained, opening the box really slowly.

_I wish you would just hurry up already,_ Len thought.

"So I thought we might get on the scheme together…"

_Sure._

"…and you know, man power? Well—"

"Funny," Len said in a way that was more like musing to himself than actually talking to Yuuma. "My mom just believed in the exact opposite…she was even telling me on the phone a few days back, about how glad she was that I was not the macho man type, that I'm actually quite girly—"

"HOLD IT!" Yuuma interrupted, dropping the box lid back to its original position. _Dar__n, so close._ "She _doesn't believe in man power_?"

"Not…quite."

Yuuma jumped up, the look of utter rage on his face so comical that Len nearly cracked up. "Well, in these dire situations, we _must_ prove her wrong! And how, you ask? BY GETTING YOU A GIRL—"

Len had gotten up too, but this time in panic. "Wait, wait—I'm not here to get a girl—"

"Ohohohohoho, but I _know_ you have your eyes on my little chick—"

"I _don't_! It's just that—"

"Therefore, your friends Rin and Kaito—quite a gentleman, I may add—and I have come up with a SCHEME! To get you guys TOGETHER! Heheheheheh, and even _Gumi_ is up to the idea—I mean, she was just telling me yesterday night about how _good_ you guys looked together, yellow and—"

"What's in the box?" Len asked in a desperate attempt to stray away from this subject.

It worked, this time. Yuuma's face brightened up, and he seemingly forgot all traces about schemes. He paused his hand at the opening, and grinned up at Len. "Let's do this, man power…"

"Alright," with an edge of impatience in Len's voice.

But when Yuuma opened the box, Len was completely speechless.

"That—it's the—what's with the—"

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"I swear," Iroha moaned, as Kaito and Rin dragged her down the hallway with sheer KaiRin force, "what sort of fix…"

Rin, hearing this, looked back with a grin. "Of course you'd love to taste those juicy pale pink soft lovely dewy beautiful lips of Len's, don't you?" She gave Iroha a little elbow nudge as she went by, causing the pinkette to turn red.

"No fair, Rin," Kaito complained, shoving Iroha in a friendly way. "I never get any chance to matchmake."

Rin cackled. "No, but I get the most of it."

_"Rin!"_

"What? I mean, it's matchmaking, right?"

"And what, are you better than me?"

"I've matched up a lot of people by now, so I have the experience."

"Oh yeah? I got Miku climbing off of—"

"That's shooing someone away!"

_They really do bicker like husband and wife,_ thought Iroha with a sigh as Kaito and Rin argued on.

* * *

"The cake called 'Lemon and Strawberry Cake'?" Len mumbled. The cake was right in front of his eyes; viewing it in a closer distance made it look more like a pity to eat. What was left of the traces of sunlight glimmered through the cracks of the curtains and illuminated the cake a fiery orange. The frosting, which would normally be pink, was red because of the setting sun's glare. Dusk was falling, and as Len stared at the cake, its colors seemed to change little by little.

Yuuma beamed. "Yup."

Len reached toward the center, where the prints of two pairs of could be seen. _That must be __the place for the figurines._ He quickly drew his hand back. "So…that's all?"

Yuuma pouted. "Does it _look_ like it's all?" He rummaged deeper in the box, which was strange because the box was really empty after he took the cake out. Seemingly realizing that the thing he wanted wasn't there, he searched his pockets, turning them inside-out and so on, until he seemed to have found something, as his face brightened.

"What's…?" Len couldn't help but ask.

Yuuma grinned, and showed him the marzipan pieces; Len choked, his face turning red, and it wasn't from lack of air.

* * *

"Say, Iroha, what's this?" Really near the room in which Yuuma and Len were in, Rin stopped and admired a carefully-made figurine. Her nose was dainty, she had rosebud lips, her aquamarine eyes were wide and observant, and her artificial hair was soft as silk. Iroha stopped immediately, leaning on her crutch.

"Iroha?" Rin asked more softly, realizing that Iroha was lost in a deep reverie.

"Huh? Oh." Iroha snapped back awake, looking at the figurine. "That…"

"I don't know, it looks a lot like that singer to me…" Kaito mumbled under his breath as he observed the figurine which Rin had now picked up, turning side to side.

Iroha whipped around, nearly putting too much pressure on her ankle. But she could barely care. "What?" she asked, sucking the air in sharply. "What singer?" Her eyes implored a startled Kaito to tell her more.

"You know, the girl who goes by Luka Megurine—"

"What songs have you heard?" Iroha was breathless with excitement. So Luka wasn't such an obscure star after all!

Kaito blinked, surprised. "Well…" he said hesitantly. "Akaito's the one who's the fan of her…"

"Oh." Iroha didn't try to hide her distaste for Akaito. One meeting with him, and she had had enough of his pompous ways. She turned back to the figurine. "Oh, alright…"

"You know, Akaito's not a bad person…he's just annoying at times."

"And what proof do you have that he's not a 'bad person'?" Iroha answered, raising an eyebrow.

"What proof do _you_ have that he _is_ a bad person?" Kaito countered.

"None…" Iroha sighed, looking down at the figurine. "It's just that Akaito…well, he's hard to describe. Like he tried to flirt when he just met me…that's a pretty bad impression, you know—"

Rin put her foot down. "Enough's enough. We came to help Iroha bond to Len, not talk about sentimental things such as Akaito." She grinned, grabbing Iroha's arm. "Come on, Iroha-chan. Let's get your lips connected."

* * *

"That…that's _u_–_us_?" Len gasped, staring at the figurines in Yuuma's hand.

The figurines featured Len and Iroha, holding hands and smiling at each other. Len was certain that Iroha had never smiled in the way that her figurine was smiling. Though, Gumi had made the marzipan people really accurately—she didn't even miss the tiny red bow near the top of the left kitty ear of Iroha's kitty hat. And he himself…His eyes had a strange, enlightening and endearing spark in them.

Yuuma grinned at Len's starstruck expression. "Yup. That's why I personally ordered it. Didn't I _say_ that I was going to get you two together?"

"But I'm not aiming for—"

They were interrupted by a large crash at the door.

* * *

**Whew, done. I wrote this after my piano class...Czerny is one of my least-favorite composers. D: Anyway, it's longer than what I would usually write... But please R&R!**

**EDIT A FEW MINUTES LATER: I read this over and it was ridden with errors. -.- Corrected all of 'em.  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	13. Chapter 12: Adding Miku to the Mix

**Summer school just started, so it make take me longer to update each chapter. -.- Nonetheless, here is chapter 12~!**

* * *

_Chapter 12_

"Hi, Iroha," said Len after a long silence. The said pinkette was sprawled on the floor in the doorway, with guilty-looking Rin and Kaito, with sheepish smiles on both of their faces, trailing behind. Iroha raisedher eyes to Len's face, then averted them to the scene outside the window. Night was just falling, and the first stars twinkled on a chalky lavender background.

Iroha stiffly got up, brushing off her skirt. "Hi, Len," like he was someone she'd just met.

Yuuma's eyes darted from his daughter to the uncomfortable blonde boy next to him, several times until Len could swear Yuuma's eyes became dizzy. "How much did you hear?" he asked, his voice almost in a whisper.

The formerly glued-to-spot Rin suddenly blinked back to life. "Hear what?"

"What we were talking about?"

Rin, Kaito, and Iroha traded glances. "No," said Kaito. "We were talking about…" He looked to Iroha for approval, but Iroha just shrugged. "Luka Megurine," Kaito said in a smaller voice. "I–I mean, we were talking about how hot she was and all—_ow_!" He rubbed his side, where he'd just been elbowed by Rin, who had a strangely funny expression on her face.

_Matchmaking,_ she mouthed at him.

Len caught this and warily backed away. "You know, whatever you're going to do, I'm not going to be part of—"

"Le~en," Rin said sweetly, stretching out the "e" sound just like Acme did. She walked over to him and linked her sun-browned arm through his. Len felt a hot blush creep up his neck; he had never been _this_ close to Rin. But she was surprisingly strong. Soon he found himself being pulled by her toward Iroha, who just stood up and looking elsewhere, through the window at the now star-scattered sky, with Kaito smiling unlike himself with a hand firmly clenched on Iroha's shoulder, as if afraid she'd run away.

"What _are _you doing?" Len was suddenly yanked forward with such sheer force that he was jerked off of his feet for just a second. Surprised at this sudden second-long airborne flight, he plummeted headfirst to Iroha's feet.

Iroha ripped her gaze off of the brightly-twinkling stars and looked down at Len. "Balance much?"

"Heh…" Len quickly pulled himself off of the floor, rubbing his chin where he had hit. _She really can be sarcastic when she wants to…Like my mom…Wait, why my _mom_?_ This suddenly-disturbing thought slipping into his mind, Len subconsciously fell down, and he only blushed harder. _My clumsiness must be unmatched—_

"Want a hand?" Iroha mumbled, extending one of her hands toward him. Len could only stare at it with a starstruck expression.

"Le~en," Rin whined, prodding him with her left toe. "We haven't all day. Be a gentleman and accept her hand."

Len looked from Rin to Iroha. As much as he wanted to prove to Rin that she was wrong, no, they were _not_ going to go out together anytime soon, he couldn't refuse a simple act of kindness, could he? He let Iroha pull him up.

"Thanks," Len said weakly. Iroha rolled her eyes.

"Just be more careful next time—god, I've said that to you more than five times already, haven't I?"

Rin and Kaito exchanged knowing glances, the same thought channeling through both of their minds. _They're coming along. _

* * *

_Later~_

"Thanks, Mr. Nekomura, but I really have to go," Len explained at the door of Iroha's house. He smiled at Yuuma, who had a puppy-dog look in his eyes, as if his heart would break if Len left. "I'm used to sleeping at a certain time…"

"Oh…" Yuuma rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Alright then. But can you come tomorrow?"

"I'll try," Len promised. He was actually quite looking quite forward to tomorrow…but still, he couldn't camp out in Iroha's house, that would be just plain rude since his house was right next to theirs.

It was just an old, softwood fence that separated Len's house with Iroha's. Over time, velvety crimson roses, so dark that they looked almost black, had climbed over the fence and covered the pale tan wood. Len felt himself sigh as he looked up at the not-so-towering fence, since it was so old and broken-down. Nonetheless, he shook his head and walked up to his house, sticking his key into the lock.

In surprise, just when he was about to take the key out of the keyhole, the door swung open and revealed a rather attractive woman in her thirties. Long, silky teal hair flowed down her back as she didn't bother to tie it up in the two girlish pigtails she usually wore. A frown adorned her pretty face when she saw her son at the door, just when he was about to twist the doorknob, his hand still frozen in the position and his mouth slightly hanging open.

"Len, where have you been?" Miku accused him, letting him in. Len found himself cringing in distaste when he saw another blonde lounging on the sofa, snickering at the corny jokes blaring from the TV and armed with a bowl of potato chips and ranch dip.

"At Iroha's house," Len explained, then seeing the confusion on his mother's face; "the new kid."

"So Rin moved out, hmm?" Miku walked on the cold floorboards like an idol, her long white nightgown swishing at her ankles. She flicked her long back sash, and moved—no, _floated_—barefoot to the sofa and pecked at her new boyfriend's cheek. "Hello again, Sora. I suppose you do have met my son…?" Miku made a simple gesture toward Len.

Sora glanced lazily from the TV, to Len who was standing awkwardly in the corner of the room. A thin smile flickered across his face. "Oh, hi, Len."

His gaze screamed of the line, _I've got your mother under my thumb so ha. _

Len moved past them to his room. "Hi, Sora." He was halfway up the stairs before Miku called him. When Len turned around, he faced a displeased-looking tealnette, her hands on her dainty waist.

"Is that how you talk to your future father?"

"What do you expect me to call him?"

"Anything but a simple 'hi, Sora'. You can even call him Daddy, because I plan on marrying him this September."

Len choked on the air in his throat. _"September?"_

Miku raised an eyebrow, undaunted. "Yes. And practice calling him that, because I won't accept it if you're so fickle about it." Then, with a swish of her nightgown, she walked into the other room to practice her opera singing or something similar.

Once Miku was gone, when she was out of earshot, Sora turned to Len and grinned, revealing nauseating light-gray teeth.

"Too bad for you, kid."

**(A/N: For those who are wondering where Len got his blonde hair from, it's from his grandmother Seiyu (SeeU). From Miku's side, of course. XD Dude, I do get really tangled up in family history...) **

* * *

"So your parents would be coming tomorrow night to pick you up?" Yuuma asked Rin, who nodded vehemently.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for all that bustle, Mr. Nekomura…"

Yuuma laughed. "Don't speak of it." He then lowered his voice so Iroha, who was busy gazing out the window and running her hands through Luka's artificial hair, couldn't hear. "We're going to get Len and Iroha together, anyway."

Kaito, hearing this, grinned. "Yes…"

"Speaking of which, Kaito, what about _you_? Who are going to pick _you_ up?"

"He's coming with me?" Rin offered.

Kaito blinked, apparently caught by surprise at Rin's sudden, rash decision. _"You?"_

"Well, you did say that you were free to do anything…So I guess on the car ride back to Hokkaido we can talk about…stuff? Also…We have to get them alright by tomorrow night—operation Make Them Kiss failed because we were too distracted. Len and Iroha, I mean." She glanced over at the pinkette to see if she was listening; Iroha was not. "Because I wouldn't be able to help much if…"

"We should be able," Yuuma agreed, "by the combined forces of Yuuma/Kaito/Rin."

So it was settled; when Len came, which would undoubtedly be tomorrow, they would make them kiss, first thing, and lead them from there.

Oh, the decisions to be made.

* * *

Muttering to himself Len cranked up the computer, for no reason but to entertain himself. He had a few songs in mind to search, and his email to check, but it did take the old machine some time to start up. He flopped onto the bed and grabbed a spare pillow lying idly on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling, holding the pillow to his chest.

There was a yell from downstairs—"LEN!"

Miku's high voice was unmistakable. Len turned to the other side, not bothering to answer.

"LEN!" Miku tried again.

Usually Miku wouldn't be this persistent. She normally left him alone if he didn't answer her first call. So why was she so eager to get his attention?

Len looked over at the computer. It was still starting up. With a sigh, Len sat up, his pillow landing with a plunk on the floor. _It'll take sometime. Well, I guess I should just go to see what she's so worked up with…it's not going to be very important, anyway… _

How wrong he was.

Len stepped down from the last stair of the staircase. He saw Sora sitting at a round table in the kitchen, and Miku leaning over something in the sink, the faucet still gushing water. Hearing Len's approach, Miku switched the faucet off and looked up, brushing a chunk of teal hair out of her eyes. She smiled brightly at him; Len blanched.

"Sorry about earlier, Len," Miku called. "Come down and let's have some family time?"

_Family time?_ Len tentatively walked over under Miku's encouraging smile.

Len's mother set a bowl of green grapes onto the table. Len reached for one hungrily, unable to contain himself, but out of the corner he noticed Sora reaching too. Remembering Sora's habits, Len immediately drew his hand back. The other blonde raised an eyebrow and grabbed a whole branch of grapes out of there.

"Sora, leave some for Len," Miku said.

Sora stopped in midbite, his eyes wide with surprise. Len was sure his eyes were bulging too. Since when did Miku…?

With a sigh, Len plucked a grape off of a branch of grapes, and stuck it in his mouth. It had a distinctly sweet, tangy taste in it, but Len's lip puckered because of the sourness. He glanced over at Sora; he was stuffing grapes in his mouth. And Miku? Miku was only looking at them, smiling.

_This is going to be a long night._

* * *

**2000+ words. Nice.**

**_I hate my sister._  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	14. Chapter 13: Phone Call

**Next chappie, up!  
**

* * *

_Chapter 13 _

One may suspect that sitting in a atmosphere with a certain chilling wisp of feeling in it, with people they did not particularly like and people who they are very awkward with, very uncomfortable. Len found this true as he tried to get a bunch of grapes, and yet, for many times Sora always beat him to it, once even snatching it right from his grip. And Miku just kept on smiling.

If _this_ was what Miku thought was "family time"… Len winced. He was having daytime-nightmares already, of what might happen if Sora moved in forever.

As he stared down at his paper plate of four grapes, he tried to console himself with the thought that Miku played boy after boy, so they might divorce soon. But still…this was the first time she'd ever arranged _marriage._ Most of the times…, well, all they did was to go out to a formal dinner, maybe, or spend some time in a bedroom.

But Len had a unsettling feeling that Sora might be the one that Miku settled with.

_How bad _is_ her taste?_ he wondered as he popped a grape into his mouth. It was surprisingly sweet—in a whole sea of soursweet grapes. Like a finely woven brocade among ordinary pieces of lint?

"Enjoying it?" Miku suddenly asked, startling Len. He hadn't noticed that she was staring closely at him the entire time.

"It's nice," Len squeaked.

"_'Nice'_?" Miku frowned, as if in distaste that Len could even say a word such as that out of his mouth. "Only _'nice'_?" Len guessed that she was hoping for something more descriptive. He only shrugged, though, and ate another grape.

"I think it's awesome," Sora suggested. Miku smiled more widely at that, and brushed hair to behind her ear—as if she were still flirting with him.

Plopping onto a chair next to Sora, Miku was closer to her boyfriend-to-future-husband than her biological son. She leaned over, and bit off the part of the grape that was currently sticking out of Sora's mouth, their lips brushing together for a simple second. Breaking away, Miku smiled, satisfied. Len had the sudden feeling to leave the table, as if he was intruding on something really intimate, but yet not meant to be not-public, or private.

Miku's eyes turned to her wheat-haired son who, out of nervousness, was perched on the edge of the chair as if he was ready to flee any second. She seductively drew away from Sora (Len could figure out now how she charmed her men), who had a blush corrupting his normally ivory-pale skin. "Well~?" she asked Len, her lips ample and luscious, as if she was ready to kiss him.

He couldn't stand any more of this. "I–I'll leave." Len quickly got up and ran off to the bathroom.

* * *

Len found himself staring at the finely-polished tiles of the bathroom floor, waxed to perfection. He could see his own reflection on it; pale and sweaty, eyes wide in surprise and disgust. _Do I look _that_ messed up?_ Len couldn't but wonder.

An avalanche of thoughts drew his attention away from anything else.

_-Does Mom every day, even when I'm not with her, with other men?  
_

_-If Mom does that, is Sora okay with it?  
_

_-Will Mom and Sora divorce?  
_

_-Should I be calling Mom "Mom" at all? …She sure isn't like one, what with her sudden personality changes and all…  
_

Someone was banging on the door. Len blinked, and looked, almost subconsciously, to the door. There was Sora's annoyed voice, and Miku's panicked voice. Len got off of leaning against the sink, and, being not ready to open the door yet, pressed his ear to it and listened.

Sora's voice didn't seem as annoyed anymore? …Like something of acceptance…?

Len could hear Miku's voice too. She sounded desperate for…_something,_ but due to the door's special thickness Len couldn't figure out what it was. There were dull _thok_-like sounds, of Miku's body hitting—

With growing dread, Len realized it was the door.

_What is that damn bastard doing with_—

Without waiting for more inspection, Len threw open the door, his eyes wild with an emotion he couldn't name himself. And found his eyes met with a…a very strange sight indeed, something that he shouldn't really be intruding upon.

Sora's pants were half off, at his ankles. Miku was naked except for her high black socks, and pressed against a corner of the bathroom. Sora was just about to lean in to kiss the skin between her breasts, or so it seemed to Len: his lips were poised right above the area. Miku had a shocked expression on her face, but Sora's eyelids were half open, like he wasn't quite awake yet, and seemingly reveling in the joy of…

"What in the name of fuck," Sora roared at Len, "ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

_…I did _not_ do that on purpose._

* * *

The phone screamed shrilly of someone trying to reach the Nekomura household by sound. Since Rin was nearest to it, she slammed her hand onto it, then realized it was not the alarm clock, but the phone. Curious, Rin picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hello?"

"HELLO?"

"KUKUKUKUKUKUKUKUKKU IROHA CHAAAAAANN~~~~~!"

"Iroha? _Iroha?_"

"Oh my gosh, Iro-chan, your voice is so high! Did you suck in helium?"

"HOW MUCH HELIUM DID YOU SWALLOW?"

"Did it taste—"

Rin staggered back at the loud voices that blasted out of the receiver of the phone. Her ears still ringing with the sound, she shook her head to clear the sounds, blinking hard to ease the headache that threatened to conquer her temples with the shouts the people on the other side were shouting.

As much as she was now afraid to say another word for another bunch of shouts, she still had to know who this was.

"No, it's not Iroha."

"Huuuuuh?"

"MOMO! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STOOOOOO~PID? IT'S A _ROBBER!_ RUN FROM THE PHONE!"

There was an earsplitting crash as someone obviously dropped the phone on the other side. Rin's hands flew up to her ears to compensate for the hearing loss she was sure that would follow.

A calmer voice popped up. "Sorry about them—I'm Miki."

"MIKI! HOW COULD YOU? NOW THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN KILL US—"

"That was Teto."

"Mi–Miki?"

"That was Momo."

"NUUUUUUUUU MIKI HOW COULD YOU—"

Miki, apparently exasperated, shouted over Teto's and Momo's voices, "Anyway, if you're not Iroha, who are you?"

"Rin…Rin Kagamine…"

"THAT ROBBER GAVE US HER FULL NAME~! NOW WE CAN GO TO THE POLICE STATION AND—"

"Shut _up_, Teto!" Miki snapped. Then she turned back to the phone. "Don't listen to them…they're hyper tonight because Teto overdosed them on soda. Well, Teto's always hyper, but Momo got overdosed, so they're both full of caffeine right now. We're in a sleepover at my house, and can we talk to Iroha?"

Rin drew a hand across her eyes. Now that Miki had pretty much answered all of her silent questions, sleep and fatigue seemed to overcome her again. Rin's voice was momentarily lost because of her yawn, but she forced the words out.

"I think she's asleep."

"Wait, so you know her already?"

"It's a long story." Rin's petite form shook with another yawn. Kaito, mumbling in his sleep, flipped over to the other side of his sleeping-bag pillow. Rin's eyes traveled over to the big windows in the middle of the large, round living room. A few slivers of moonshine escaped the strong fabric barrier of the curtains.

"I see." Miki was quiet for a moment. Then she asked, "Would we be so rude to wake her up?"

Rin giggled to herself. This Miki was too serious for no apparent purpose. "You don't have to be so formal with me. And that, well…I guess it's how well she takes to being waken up…"

"Don't worry," Miki assured her. "We're Iroha's old friends and we've woken her up in the middle of many sleepover nights. She's pretty mild when it comes to disrupting sleep, because it takes a long time for her to fall asleep anyway. So…if you are to walk up and ask her, that'd be a pretty nice favor."

* * *

"Iroha. Hey, Iroha." The pinkette stifled a yawn, being shook back and forth with a soft hand.  
She opened her eyes a crack; "Rin?" Iroha asked incredulously, sitting up in an instant. In Rin's hand she held a phone.

"There are people who claim to be your friends who are calling—"

"Thanks!" Iroha snatched the phone from Rin's hands, and quickly apologized; then she began talking.

A crafty smile slipped onto Rin's face. _Maybe this Teto, who seems hyper, can help with matchmaking…_

* * *

**Done, finished at 9:20 p.m. XD So be happy you've got this~ Now, off to sleep~**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	15. Chapter 14: More Surprises

**Meh, so much work... -.- My eyes hurt...**

**Anyway, I haven't done Gakupo/Mikuo/Gumi/Lily in a while. I don't want readers to think that I've forgotten them. I will include them in this chapter. :'D And most of the problems Gumi has will be solved...sorta...In the next few chappies...  
**

* * *

_Chapter 14_

Little did Rin know, Teto had plans of her own.

"So Iroha, YOU _ARE_ GETTING A BABY WITH SOMEONE RIGHT? _RIGHT?_"

"Teto—"

"OH, BUT I UNDERSTAND IRO-CHAAAAAN~! I'LL BE CALLING EVERYDAY TO ENSURE THAT YOU _ARE_ DOING YOUR JOB ATTRACTING DA BOYS~! YOU WILL BE **_THE_ **_BOMB_ FOR THEM! AHAHAHAHAHAHA~! LALAALALALALALALALALA AND MIKI CAN'T GET THE PHONE FROM MEEEEEEEE~! SO DO YOUR JOB…"

Rin, still at the doorway of Iroha's room, sweatdropped and turned away, but not before making a mental note of Miki's phone number.

* * *

Nightly walks had always calmed Gumi's feelings and soothed her worrying thoughts edged with bursts of nervous energy. Being the one most of everyone came to when they had a problem, sometimes she simply needed some time alone to solve her own problems. As the soles of her shoes kicked up dust on the little side road off of her bakery, she abruptly came to a halt when she realized that she was coming to the more "old-scale" part of the town.

"Old-scale" was what the citygoers called it, anyway. It stuck, soon. It was much more quaint and, in a way, different from the other parts of town. The streets were cobblestone unlike the normal cement or dust, and the houses were brick, like a town in the eighteenth century.

Gumi had never really been there before. All she knew about it was that people preferred doing things the old way, rather than with the modern machines and such.

As she padded toward it, she found no reason to resist the "old-scale" part's charm. Fresh, sweet grass shoots poked up determinedly from the spring mud beside the road. Pale, creamy aurulent petals of the wild yellow lily dripped with dew. The few dried, dying stalks of the snowdrop flower littered the ground. Chimney smoke rose up in wisps, carving a thin gray mist in the sky.

It was a nice break from all of the perfume of the cherry blossom flowers that were present in many parks as symbolism.

Gumi shoved her hands into her pockets and pulled her hood over her head. The night was just another piece dark navy fabric with sparkling diamond crystals sewn skillfully upon it from the hands of spirits. Why look up at that when there was beauty scattered in the little things all around her, real and living?

She was there, now, in the actual part of the old-scale town. The wild flowers gave way to carefully-planted pansies and morning glories and luminescent flame-toned poppies who have closed up their petals for the night.

Gumi took careful note of every plant she saw, every small movement of animals and wind out of the corners of her eyes. An idea for another type of cake and pastry was blossoming in her head, and she didn't want to lose it. Meanwhile, it wouldn't hurt to explore this place a bit and warm up to the residents here, would it?

* * *

A teal-haired man leaned over the sink, drawing a comb through his soft, silky hair. He adjusted his tie, and looking at his reflection in the mirror, he fell into a memory, its golden threads drawing him in.

_~Flashback~_

_It's a hot, humid day and the raven-haired man can't help but curl his lip in distaste at his already-melting mint ice cream. The tealnette next to him raises an eyebrow, seemingly not bothered by the gloppy, thick sugary substance in her cup. She calmly sticks her spoon into it, and eats it with grace and skill. He has to admire how smoothly she eats the melted ice cream.  
_

_However, there's another subject bothering him.  
_

_"Miku…do I _have_ to go to the salon to dye my hair the same as yours?"_

_The said woman looks at him, frowning. "Mikuo, we have the same facial structure, same eye shape, about the same height, and just about anything else I can name…except for the hair. If you dye your hair, wouldn't people think we are soulmates? Made for each other, even though we're not related in any way?"  
_

_Mikuo frowns too, and spoons up some ice cream. It drips down to his collar and he quickly wipes it, getting the sticky ice cream onto the back of his hand. "I suppose you're right, Miku. I'll do it."  
_

_~End Flashback~  
_

Why he didn't bother dyeing his hair back to black after Miku cheated and dumped him was beyond Mikuo. But there was no time to think about that now.

Mikuo blew a kiss at his reflection, and he smiles thinking about the fun he'd have with the purple-haired eighteen-year-old who claimed to be a twenty-eight-year-old when in the presence of that bakery owner.

* * *

A gray mist from a certain rust-colored brick chimney curled up toward the dark sky. It was a light color, cutting Gumi's sky in half with vibrant color. Her eyes followed its movement until it became too high into the atmosphere for her to see. A sudden thrashing noise to her right distracted her. Speaking of those noises…they had began recently, and were so incessant…

Gumi headed in the direction, slightly annoyed.

* * *

The hands…they were so rough. The cuts, forever scarred into the palm of his hands, ran over the boy's skin and snagged on the especially soft parts. He groaned and shifted to the right, but the seme noticed that and only leaned in to bite lightly on the skin of the uke's neck to stop his movement. Like this, he felt…completely and totally in charge.

_He's mine._

The words Mikuo repeated in his mind over and over.

He leaned over the purple-haired boy now, his lips which were forever tainted with the taste of Miku's mouth, brushing softly against the other's. That boy—yes, Gakupo was his name—bucked violently as if rejecting Mikuo's touch.

"Why do you refuse…?" Mikuo breathed into Gakupo's ear, running his hand down Gakupo's neck, under his shirt. "You should really…take~that~off…"

Gakupo only moaned and his fingers flew up to an unbuttoned area of his chest, almost deliriously. Mikuo's eyes traced his hand's path; he saw a dark blue bruise upon it, like an ugly mark forever reminiscent of Mikuo.

Seeing this, he smiled contentedly.

"Can't ever forget me, hmm…?" Mikuo's mismatched eyes scanned Gakupo's face. His sapphire eyes were wild and his body was soaked in sweat. Mikuo cared naught whether passersby were staring at him; they were doing it out in the public, but only because in a bedroom was too closed-up, so much less freedom to move around.

"Let…me…go…" Gakupo murmured as if in a nightmare.

Mikuo drew a hand across Gakupo's forehead, and a thin sheen of sweat moistened his hand. _He's__~so~cute, with some hairs out of place…_

"You belong to me, and don't you ever forget that," Mikuo whispered, his hot breath sweeping across the base of Gakupo's neck. His grip tightened on Gakupo's loose collared white shirt—and was that insecurity that overcame him? Just as quickly, he brushed it off; _No matter._ "Don't you _ever_…forget that you belong to me."

* * *

Gumi's steps sounded unreasonably loud to her own ears. Why a sudden feeling of anticipation had overcome her, she did not know, and only wished it to be over. Gumi didn't like being nervous about something in particular—and especially something shedidn't even _know_ what she was nervous about.

But when she reached the clearing where the thumping sounds were coming from, her eyes were greeted with a shocking sight.

For what was right in front of her were two men—a tealhead and a purple-haired one; the teal leaning over the purple haired and was just about to go in for a passionate kiss, the purple-haired with a terrified expression on his face.

They were none other than Mikuo and Gakupo.

Alone in the clearing.

Horror.

Surprise.

Annoyance.

Anger.

Realization.

With a mixture of those feelings, Gumi stomped over to Mikuo and clamped a hand—_hard_—down onto his shoulder, yanking him away from her lover.

* * *

"So what'd Teto say?" Rin asked Iroha, who was giving her the phone again. The pinkette sighed wearily, and shook her head.

"Nothing…"

"Nothing." Rin raised an eyebrow. "Only nothing?"

"I suppose you can say that it is…"

_Iroha's keeping something from me, but she doesn't know I already know._

"Think about whatever Teto told you," Rin told Iroha. "And tomorrow…tell me what you feel afterwards."

* * *

_Sora did it with my mom._

_Sora did it with my mom.  
_

_Sora did it with my mom.  
_

_**SORA DID IT WITH MY** **MOM.**_

Len was actually kind of impressed at Sora for making the first move, because what he knew about his mother, she was not usually taken by surprise.

_He assaulted her with…_

Thoughts swimming around his head, Len drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Done. LOL, again at like 9:20 in the night. I shall go back to sleep now~**

**Now, what's Gumi going to do? It's getting to the climax of her life ;)  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	16. Chapter 15: Len's House

**ATTENTION ~ I have an idea for a RinLen fic, and I might publish it soon so I might update this slower. But don't worry, I'm still loyal to LenxIroha, LOL. c:**

* * *

_Chapter 15_

Shock flickered across Mikuo's face as he raised his teal-and-gray eyes up at Gumi's annoyed face. Gakupo, who was knocked against a tree and his eyes half-closed, moaned again in pain. Some soft strands of purple hair, mussed up, hung about his face. Mikuo would have been absorbed in gazing at Gakupo's features, but the bakery owner was right in front of him.

He would never had guessed that Gumi had such strength.

"It's that cursed blonde lady, isn't it?" Mikuo asked Gumi, the menace in his voice surprising even himself.

"You weren't always like this, Mikuo," Gumi said symbolically, as her face softened slightly but did not lose its annoyed look.

"Sure I was." To be truthful, Mikuo had no idea what Gumi was talking about, but he guessed it had something to do with Gakupo. Speaking of that boy there…she'd been so involved in him ever since she had met him.

_~Flashback 1~_

_A five-year-old greennette runs across a field, laughing as the raven-haired boy behind her tries to tag her. "Can't catch me, Mikuo!" Gumi yells, sticking her little pink tongue out. Mikuo scowls, and runs faster.  
_

_Suddenly Gumi swerves around a tree. Mikuo has been so intent on chasing her, he had not noticed that large plant that loomed before him now. He wheels about, trying to avoid it, but instead crashes into the tree. Loose bark and leaves fall down all around him. Mikuo quickly gets up to chase Gumi, but not before she has run far away and is now with a few of her friends, sharing their tales about being chased by boys.  
_

_~Flashback 2~  
_

_Mikuo couldn't help it; each time he sees her, his eyes land on her chest, but as soon as she notices him staring, she quickly blushes and covers her chest, turning away.  
_

_He couldn't help but feel that this action is cute.  
_

_Even though a twelve-year-old who's lived such a sheltered life shouldn't be thinking such…suggestive thoughts.  
_

_~Flashback 3~  
_

_"I'll miss all of you guys," Gumi says, enveloping all of her friends in a group hug—Mikuo is surprised that he's included in the hug too. He sneaks a look at Gumi's face; it's streaked with bittersweet tears. "Have fun in college, everyone," she giggles, breaking apart with a sort of soft, broken laugh.  
_

_~Flashback 4~  
_

_"Mikuo?" Gumi's eyes are wide as she gives him a once-over at their graduation.  
_

_Mikuo returns the surprised statement— "Gumi?" She's much more mature now, her hair is cropped stylishly in a wispy bob that hangs about her face. He's about to say something, but Gumi speaks first.  
_

_"Hello, Mikuo," with a warm smile.  
_

_~Flashback 5~  
_

_"I'm sorry, Gumi, but I think I love Miku more."  
_

_He could never forget that look on her face when he speaks those unforgivable words.  
_

_~Flashback 6~  
_

_Mikuo flips open his cell phone and sees several missed calls from Gumi. Apparently, she's trying to reach him—but for what?  
_

_His eye catches on an unreceived text message.  
_

_It reads,  
_

_**"Miku is a cheater, but you are just too blinded by her beauty to see that. —Gumi."**  
_

_~Flashback 7~  
_

_Mikuo collapses into his chair, worn and tired from that night's events. He's still numb from Miku's sudden, sharp rejection. He cranks up the computer and logs onto chat; however, Gumi is not online.  
_

_Gakupo is, though.  
_

_~Flashback 8~  
_

_Mikuo overhears Gumi telling Lily that she is hopelessly in love with Gakupo.  
_

_Jealousy eats at his insides, and he vows that he'd get Gakupo first.  
_

_~End Flashbacks~  
_

Mikuo didn't know whether Gumi could read his thoughts or not, but he thought guessed that with the look that must have ascended his face, even if Gumi wasn't psychic, she could as well guess what he was thinking. But Gumi didn't mention it.

She simply said, "Think about it."

And walked past him to get Gakupo.

* * *

Sapphire eyes opened a crack. The sweet smell of pastries made his skin tingle, and the warmth of the air around him made him feel utterly comfortable. He would have stayed in this position forever if not for a sudden thought that has penetrated his mind.

_Mikuo._

_His words.  
_

_Sex.  
_

Gakupo immediately sat up, his hand on his chest to feel the bruise. Yes, it was still there. His memory was obscure and faint; he could not figure out what happened after he collapsed to exhaustion on the couch of his apartment the night before. Yet Gakupo remembered something about Mikuo shaking him up and saying something about going somewhere and…

_What the hell has he done? _

Not waiting to think for an answer, he wildly runs to the first door that he sees. Just about he was about to open the door, however, the door opens on its own.

Green hair. Peridot eyes. A gentle expression. A childishly rounded face.

"Gumi?" Gakupo asked in disbelief. "What are you doing in my apartment?"

* * *

Iroha paced back and forth across her room. Rin had left, but now…she didn't know what to think. _Get a __guy for myself?_ Iroha thought to herself. _What is Teto thinking, when I'm still only twelve?_

Iroha happened to glance up at the clock; it read 1:30.

_Nothing like a little walk. It doesn't hurt._

She stepped out of the room and scribbled another note, leaving it lying on the kitchen table. Then she went outside, stretching in the night air.

And found herself walking to her neighbor's house, Len's.

* * *

"It's not your apartment," Gumi tried to explain. "It's my bakery."

Gakupo only became more confused. "But I never left my apartment."

"You didn't," Gumi agreed. "But Mikuo…"

Realization suddenly hit Gakupo. _Mikuo._ So he took him to…Gumi's _bakery?_ But why? "I don't understand," Gakupo said, and sat down on a chair near the door in which Gumi came out from, his head in his hands.

"First things first," Gumi interrupted. "You didn't really think I'd believe you when you said you were twenty-eight, did you?"  
She smirked when Gakupo's head shot up, a look of utter surprise on his face.

* * *

"My mom can't know that you're here," Len whispered, opening the door a crack. Iroha felt a tinge of surprise.

"Your _mom_?"

Len frowned. "Well, there's no law against having a mother, is there?"

"I'm sorry. It's just that you never talked about her and all…so I…I don't know what to think, but…"

"It's alright. You can come in."

Iroha slipped inside. The house was actually kind of spacious—like hers, except bigger. When the door was opened, Iroha could see a narrow hallway leading off to the right to some kind of room, a staircase right in front of her, steps on the left leading down to a living room, and another room peeking out behind the staircase. Len led her to the narrow hallway.

"It's sloping downward," Iroha observed.

"Nice job, Dr. Watson," Len laughed, and Iroha blushed.

_Why am I blushing like this?_ she berated herself. _He simply said a corny line. I shouldn't be blushing._

Still, she couldn't help but feel drawn to Len's laugh. It was so light, so soft, like a happy stream gurgling around rocks on a sunny day—

_Quit with it, Iroha,_ Iroha told herself firmly.

Len looked at her as they arrived at a door. "The other living room," Len explained, twisting the doorknob. Iroha found herself gawking at a large empty room, the floor tiled neatly and wiped until it shone, a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and some lace-covered tables moved off to the side.

"It looks like a ballroom," she commented.

"My mom uses it as one," Len said, closing the door. "For parties. She lives on the room right next to this one." He pointed to a beige door at the end of the hallway, next to another door that had a messily-scrawled sign reading _Basement_ taped on it. "Needless to say, she must love the ballroom more than she loves me." A dry, humorless laugh escaped his throat. Iroha turned to stare at him.

"I'm sorry."

"I told you before, it's nothing to be sorry about. Anyway, did you come here for something…?"

"Yes…" Iroha blushed again, looking down at her feet. "I came here for…"

"For?" Len encouraged her.

"For…your company."

* * *

**Doneeeee~ Thanks to Ten-Faced for reviewing Chapter 14! (Technically, it's 15, but...) Anyway, happy fourteenth! (It's not even a holiday...oh well...)**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	17. Chapter 16: Backstories and Plots

**Thanks to AwesomeSaucelv8 who has scared me into writing another chapter... And the reviews from -checks review page- Forever Lazy and Ten-Faced. :D Well, I hope y'all enjoy anyway~!**

**Oh yeah, and Ten-Faced...Remember, Luka's a famous pop star? XD In this story at least?  
**

* * *

_Chapter 17_

Registering what Iroha said, Len blushed too. They stood there for a moment, face to face, neither sure of how to respond. It was the first time then that Len noticed how silky and soft Iroha's pink hair was in the moonlight; her wide, golden eyes; perfect nails; graceful shape—

_She looks good, but that's only because of a simple moment of awe after her compliment,_ Len defended himself.

Iroha shifted from one foot to another. "Anyway, before my dad becomes as nervous as last time, I should be going," she said.

Len nodded, and led her back up. "I…won't stand in your way." _Why am I being s__o diplomatic to her all of a sudden?_ he couldn't help but wonder. Sneaking a glance back at Iroha, his eyes caught onto her face…

More accurately, lips…

"Thanks," Iroha said meekly as Len allowed her to walk back to the entrance.

"It's…You're welcome."

* * *

Gakupo blinked. "And I don't remember any of that?"

"You ask yourself." Gumi had just finished explaining everything to Gakupo, and needless to say he was having a hard time trying to digest it all. "By the way, that deep voice of yours really does work a big difference when people think your age, hmm?" She smiled at Gakupo's recurring blush. "I said before, I just _don't_ believe that you're close to thirty, you don't look _that_ old, and frankly, you shouldn't be thinking you should be."

"Well, actually…" Gakupo admitted sheepishly, "I'm only eighteen…"

This made Gumi's eyes bug out. Even though she knew that Gakupo was younger than twenty-eight…But _eighteen_? That was a good six years younger than her. "…Eighteen? But I first met you last year on a Wednesday. Shouldn't you be in…I don't know, school?" she asked suspiciously.

Gakupo shook his head. "I…I was a high-school dropout…"

Gumi frowned. "A high-school dropout? From when, last year?"

"Well, no…" Gakupo admitted.

"Come on, don't be shy with me. I'm not Lily."

"I was…" Gakupo looked away, as if ashamed. "My first year…Well, it was rough. I grew up in a sheltered, small town and then suddenly I transferred to a school in Tokyo. I was…surprised at the rudeness people harbored to me there. Like I was below them." His voice cracked, but he went on, "So…when I saw a request for a job at a restaurant.

"I couldn't believe my luck…I immediately ran away from school, home, and all those other places my parents used to keep track of me. I earned enough money for a subway, then…" Gakupo looked miserably down at his feet.

"Then…?" Gumi asked.

"Then I came here. It seemed like a bit distant to me at first, but I didn't have more money, so I ended up doing odd jobs and learning things other than the boring subjects they teach me every day…" He forced a laugh. "But then…Mikuo. I met him first as an acquaintance when I was going for coffee in Le Café. He was…so nice to me…The first one who actually cared for me in my life…

"Then sexual stuff started getting between us and…I don't know what happened, but one moment he was my friend and the other moment we were on the couch, the bed, the floor—wherever two bodies could fit. It was…not the most enjoyable…"

"I should say it wasn't," Gumi said, a small smile inching onto her face. "But what of your parents…?"

"Oh, them…" Gakupo winced. "They're…not very enjoyable people either. All they cared for me was about studying. Whether I'd get good grades or not. For some time I'd let them push me around…but, not anymore. I was tired of the beatings I'd get if I came home with a B. I was tired of the glares aimed at me when I got an A minus. I didn't like the smiles given me when I was pushed to my limits, which would most certainly be an A plus, because those smiles…they were, well, _fake_. All they wanted was that I be a genius and make them rich." He laughed bitterly. "Whenever I didn't get anything that anyone was talking about, they'd call me stupid. I had to be a perfect child."

"How do you know they were not pure on the inside?" Gumi asked. "What if…what if they were sincere and you only ran away because of some silly misunderstanding? You know, that's a possibility…" But Gakupo shook his head.

"I should probably mention a time when I was young…"

Gumi stuck her hand in her glass case that held the doughnuts. When she caught Gakupo's stare directed to her, she shrugged. "Don't worry, continue with your story."

"Well…"

_~Flashback 1~_

_"Go get to the library to get some books so we can review your pathetic score on mathematics, Gakupo."  
_

_He knows to scat when his father's face indicates so. His last score has sent both of his parents on a rage, and they would not let him do __anything__ until he'd gotten the basics of math._

_The air is fresh outside. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, everything is a hint of spring. Why move to a smog-filled city when all one breathed here was that of the scent of fresh mountain air? He mumbles incoherent words to himself as he walks down the lane to borrow some books from the library. A blonde woman with a ponytail on the side of her head looks up when he approaches.  
_

_"Tough going?" she asks sympathetically, adjusting her ponytail.  
_

_Gakupo nods. "I need books on math."  
_

_"They're all there." The librarian gestures toward a rack stuffed with books. Gakupo sighed, and she smiled drily. "I take it that you don't want to browse through all this. Mind telling me which subject?"  
_

_"'Data and analysis' and 'algebra'…"  
_

_"The group of books at the end of the shelf. Algebra is obvious; you'll see it. They're the thick books in the middle of the section."  
_

_"Thanks, Neru," says Gakupo gratefully, and goes to search for those books.  
_

_~Flashback 2~  
_

_His father slams the book on the table, a visible vein pulsing in his forehead. Gakupo cowers on the far wall. His mother has him cornered, with one hand raised, poised to slap if he dares to move. However, Gakupo's stare remains fixed on his father's contorted face in a mixture of sheer horror and surprise.  
_

_"Is…is it not you wanted, Father?" he quakes.  
_

_"NOT ANOTHER WORD FROM YOU, BOY!" Mr. Kamui roars. Gakupo's mother immediately raises her hand higher, but his father gestures for her to lower her hand.  
Nostrils flared, he turns to face his son.  
_

_"I told you very clearly that I would not accept 'Book 1', yes? I told you I WANTED BOOK 5!"  
_

_"You didn't—" Gakupo begins to contradict, but immediately clamps his mouth shut, thinking what's going to follow.  
_

_Mr. Kamui takes off his belt, spanning it with his hands. "I told you not to speak back," he says, his eyes glinting ominously. "What right do you have to disobey me, you **worthless worry**?" Gakupo cringes, expecting him yell more, but instead the sting of the belt reaches his cheek. His hand flies up to it in shock, and his father smiles dangerously.  
_

_"Why, I told you I would not go easy the next time you contradict, didn't I?" He prepares for another hit, swinging his belt over his shoulder like a lasso—  
_

_**Abrupt End of Flashback.**  
_

"I think you're elaborating a bit, uh, too much," Gumi jumped in. "He certainly must've not been _that_ mean toward you—I mean, that's practically madman style…and your mother too?"

"I'm _not_lying," Gakupo said, his patience wearing thin. "I told you, they're harsh on me."

"Certainly, but not that harsh—"

"You've never been through it, so you don't know."

"Gakupo—Wait!" Gumi called as Gakupo turned his back to her and began running down the slope.

* * *

"I know this is utterly rude to place a call during the midnight," Yuuma said between yawns, "but may I have Len at the phone?" He was calling their neighbor, and apparently Len's parents were home because a man answered.

"Certainly," said the man. A high-pitched voice followed—

"Eh mai _gawsh_! The phone is for _me_! What can I _do_ for you, mister—"

"Len at the phone," repeated Yuuma. "Your attempt at trap…speaking is really impressive, but I need Len."

For he had a plan in mind: to make Iroha work at Gumi's Bakery and then let Len come in and offer her the lemon and strawberry cake and be seduced because his daughter in a waitress uniform was just PURE SEXINESS~!

_Wait, I shouldn't be thinking those thoughts about my own daughter…CRAP, WHY DOES A BIG-BOOBED LUNA POP INTO MY IMAGINATION ALL OF A SUDDEN?  
_

And that was how Iroha ended up working at Gumi's Bakery the next day.

* * *

At the same time, Big Al thought that maybe Iroha was around Gumi's Bakery because that was where he met her when he broke her ankle; he should at least apologize like a man, eh?

* * *

"This cursed frilly apron—" A growl escaped Iroha's lips as she struggled to tie the strings of the apron behind her back. Gumi, noticing this, chuckled and tied it for her, her deft hands working quickly at the knots she made when tying it on. Just that moment, the words _I realized at yesterday's quiet night, that even if I pick up the fallen flower leaves, it won't bloom back to its original form; the small death on top of my hands—our time is frozen still_ blasted out of the radio.

" _'Just be Friends'_?" Iroha looked up in wonderment.

Gumi smiled and nodded. "And there's also _'Interviewer'_. Your father has seen to it that I make your surroundings as comfortable as possible, and I'm not going to argue with him just yet."

Iroha's face heated up. "He can be pretty demanding at times…I'm sorry…"

"Don't think about it." Gumi hummed as she picked up her phone from the countertop. A few text messages were sent to Gakupo after she found out that she could not catch him; so far, none were replied to. Yet. She carefully stuck her phone into her back pocket.

Just then, the doorbell jangled. Both females looked up at the same time—a quite handsome man stood in the doorway.

He had a line of silver stitches across his forehead.

"Albert," Iroha surprised herself by saying.

"Yes…" He smiled uncomfortably. Gumi's eyes sparkled as they darted back and forth between the two.

"Do you…want something?" _This is stupid, I'm being so formal to him. But then… _Iroha recalled last night's happenings. _I'd been equally distant toward Len…wait, __I only do that when I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed in front of…? Oh yeah, he broke my ankle and I was so helpless there. But why Len…? _

"Yes…" Big Al's voice startled Iroha out of her thoughts. "I've a…request…"

"The doughnuts are here," Iroha said.

"It's not about…pastries…" He swallowed, and smiled again, nervously. As if he was doing something that would take a lot of manly power and he desperately needed his lucky charm to—  
"Doyouwantto goto thecafeonthesidewalkwithme?" Al asked.

"Sorry, the sidewalk?" Iroha frowned. "Why go on the sidewalk?"

"The cafe on the sidewalk," Big Al corrected.

_It's a date? _Iroha's mouth felt dry. _How am I supposed to respond to that?_

"I'll check," she said hoarsely.

* * *

"…And be a man and give that to her on July 15th!" Yuuma finished with a flourish. Len stared at the cake in his hands. **(A/N, 7/29/2012: I originally planned it to be the 22nd, but it was too...well, the time spacing was wrong, so that's why.)**

"Sorry, why July 15th?"

"CUZ SHE'S GOING TO THE HOSPITAL TO REMOVE THE CAST!"

"I thought it was supposed to be a month…"

"It is. Sort of. Wait, I think we're supposed to remove the cast on August…Let me check…" Yuuma bashed his head against the wall when he realized that, indeed, the date scheduled was August third. Len looked at him in alarm, but his hands were full with cake. "DAMMIT! I CALCULATED WRONG! Well, let's give it to her as an EARLY CELEBRATION!"

"Ah…Alright…"

* * *

"My mom's coming soon," Rin said to Kaito, phone in her hands.

"When?"

"Tonight…"

"Okay…"

There was a silence. Then, Rin nearly jumped out of her wits when the phone suddenly rang with such shrillness and force that Rin could swear that she would become deaf in less than an hour if this happened on a regular basis. "H–hello?" she stammered into the receiver.

"GIMME LEN!" screamed a woman's high voice.

"I–I'm sorry, Len's talking with—"

"GIVE. ME. LEN!"

"Len, phone's for you," Rin called up the stairs.

* * *

_What happened was…_

Miku squinted at the calendar. "Yes, Sora…He'll start his new high school in September…"

"Fourteen years old already, eh?" Sora rubbed his chin. "No matter. We pack tonight, right? And we'll be moving into the new house on the twenty-third of July?"

"According to my schedule, that's what it says."

"I should guess your son is in our neighbor's house, right?"

Miku's lip curled in distaste. "Yes, that's it. Nekomura Iroha, if I remember correctly from that rude midnight call. Well, I'll call him to get him over and send him packing. Then we can depart safely on our way, and never associate with this lowly town ever again…"

"Verification time. We are moving to Tokyo then?"

"Well, it'd be a condo all to ourselves." Miku smiled. "And then, when he finishes high school, he can go work to support us, his poor parents."

"Wait, what about the wedding ceremony?"

"We'll arrange that in Tokyo. Far away from here."

* * *

**So Miku and Sora are plotting...Yuuma, Rin, and Iroha are tugging on one side...And Len's caught in the middle...**

**Thanks for the reviews, y'all! You guys are aweshome.  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	18. Chapter 17: Picking Len Up

**Meh...I haven't been writing for a while lately...  
**

**I haven't kept up with the _Nana_ series, and just today I heard that Ren died. Like, the Ren in the _Nana_ series, not the utaite singer Ren. Though both would be a blow to me, since if th-...Wait, I just see a connection between Ren Honjo and the utaite Ren. Sorry, I'm being kind of confusing... -.-  
**

**Also, I watched the Higurashi nail-ripping scene my friend sent to me. I'm going to get nightmares.  
**

* * *

_Chapter 17_

Iroha ducked into the "Employees Only" room and flipped open her cell phone. There was, apparently, a few unanswered messages from…big surprise…her own father, Yuuma.

_PinkHairedGuy (08:33:14): _HALO~  
_PinkHairedGuy (08:34:03):_ ...Iroha?  
_PinkHairedGuy (08:35:34):_ WHY ISN'T MY PRETTY FLOWER IROHA ANSWERING? WAAAAAAAHHHHHH

Oh, right. She had forgotten to log off of text messages. Checking, she noticed that her father was still online. He was, according to his status, very hyper because of eating something from the kitchen. Iroha's teeth sank into her bottom lip as she texted,

_Ironeko (09:00:15):_ Sorry...

Before she hit 'send', Iroha's fingers paused above the key. Should she add a bit more?

_Ironeko (9:00:20):_ Did you need me for something?

* * *

Big Al's tongue flicked up to moisten his dry, chapped lips. He fiddled anxiously with his hands as he waited for Iroha to come out. His eyes were glued to the entrance of "Employees Only". _I'm in love with her…I'm in love with her…I'm in love with her…_ It was still hard to accept. Him, as a big, muscled young man falling in love with a flimsy sarcastic girl? That did not happen often, Albert was sure…

There was a soft patting sound. Big Al looked up and saw Iroha.

"Sorry, I'm not available," she said, fiddling with her nails, turning them this way and that as if she was avoiding to look into his face.

Big Al breathed a sigh of…a sigh of feelings he was unsure of. Was that relief? Was that disappointment?…He forced himself to look into Iroha's golden eyes. "When…_are_ you available, then? Should we try this Thursday?"

Iroha shook her head, frowning. "I was asking him, but he said that I was too young to be…"

"Tarnished," Gumi offered. Oops. Albert had almost forgotten that she was there. Now that he looked back at her, her wispy green bob, wide peridot eyes…For some reason, he suddenly felt that she could provide him with a great deal of information on love and girls. If he tried. Was that a witty spark of wisdom in her eye? Gumi raised an eyebrow, noticing Big Al's stare.

"Nothing," Big Al said quickly, evading her glance.

"Alright," Gumi replied, shrugging.

* * *

"My mom will come at sundown," Rin announced, after delivering the phone to Len. Kaito gave her a worried stare.

"We only have a day to act out our plan on Iroha. And besides, Yuuma said that Iroha said that she was asked out by the guy who broke her ankle. If there are two guys fighting for her, how will we ever—"

"I KNEW IT!" Rin cheered. Kaito jumped aside.

"Knew what?"

"That you were totally on the plan! _Yes!_"

"A–ah, yeah…"

"And besides, Yuuma said he was eager to meet my mom! And Len _will_ stay!"

"How can you be so sure—"

"PURE PSYCHIC POWERS, KAI-KUN! PURE PSYCHIC POWERS!"

Kaito sweatdropped. When Rin got excited, she got _excited_. And there was no doubt that Rin was excited.

* * *

"Len Kagamine," seethed the woman's voice from the other side. Len's eyes widened in surprise. Her voice was high and melodious, which was…

"Mom?"

Miku sounded really, really mad.

_This is not going to be good._

And true to Len's foresight, Miku snapped, "Where are you?"

"Who is it?" Yuuma asked, not at all aware that it was Miku who was calling, not some harmless saleswoman who wanted him to buy an ultra-air-conditioned refrigerator that had double the volume of a regular fridge and was three times the size but could only fit as much as a typical freezer's items in it.

Len could only say miserably, "Tiger Mom."

Which, of course, Yuuma couldn't understand but he had to because Miku had resumed speaking.

"Nevermind about where you are. You are to come home this instant and pack your suitcase."

"Wait…why?" Len asked, dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Because I say so."

"Other than that…" Len frowned.

"Because we're moving to Tokyo. Now scram and get started."

Len's mouth felt dry. _No, not this…It…It can't be real._ "When?" he managed to choke out. Yuuma thumped him on the back, and Len coughed.

"The fifteenth. Hurry up."

With a click, the call was ended.

Len could only stand there, phone in his hand. His eyes were wide with unseeing shock, and his eyes almost subconsciously prickled with tears, which was strange…What is this about moving that so upset him? Nonetheless, he stared at the wall in front of him, not even blinking when Yuuma poked him on the nose—a gesture adults made that he was never really fond of.

"Len?" Yuuma finally squeaked out, figuring out that this wasn't someone intent on selling something. "What'd she say?"

"We'd be moving."

"_WHAT?_ BY WHEN?"

"I don't know…July 15th…" Len shakily ended the call on his side and handed it to Yuuma, who was now also alarmed and wide-eyed.

"But that can't be! It's the fifteenth when you'll give the cake to her and your love will begin!"

"What?" Len looked oddly at Yuuma. _'Your love will begin'? What the heck?_

"Oh, uh, no, it's nothing a young soul like you will have to worry about…HAHAHAHAHA." Yuuma laughed nervously, and waved his hands frantically. "I…I'll bargain with the evil Witch of the West and once she sees my incredible charming manliness she shall of course postpone the move."

"No, Mr. Nekomura, this is serious…"

"Yuuma," Yuuma said firmly.

"Yuuma, then. My mom…once she's set her mind, there's no turning back. And so apparently we need to get a date sooner than that, or else…" Len looked down at his feet. "Maybe I can deliver it in the early morning."

"But that's hardly romantic at all!" Yuuma declared indignantly. "Iroha will have to wake up the night before and stay up until she becomes romantically pale and then is very hungry and you offer the cake to her! Then she will swear to you her undying—Haha, nevermind."

Len frowned. "Yuuma, what _are_ you saying?"

"Nothing, of course!"

Len's eye twitched. "It has to do with…Iroha and me, right?"

"I told you, boy, it's nothing to worry about! Ha ha ha!" Yuuma gave Len's head some quick little pats, but his inner self was far from cheerful. _We have to make them kiss by tonight, and then Rin and Kaito will leave. Then…who knows what Fate has in store for us?_

* * *

_PinkHairedGuy (9:30:27):_ Iroha, this is urgent. Report to the office immediately. I repeat, report to the office immediately.

_Ironeko (9:31:00):_ Huh?  
_Ironeko (9:31:33):_ Dad, I had to stop serving a customer because of the annoying beeping. What is it?

_PinkHairedGuy (9:31:45):_ Forgive my tardiness, dear. Please quit your job.

_Ironeko (9:31:59):_ Dad, be serious for once.

_PinkHairedGuy (9:32:14):_ I AM serious! You must! Tell Gumi!

_Ironeko (9:32:30): _I can't just walk to Gumi and say "I'm quitting"! And besides, YOU were the one who set me up for this the first place! Now what, you're going to leave on me?

_PinkHairedGuy (9:32:47):_ I don't mean that! It's just...something urgent I have to discuss with you.

_Ironeko (9:32:56):_ And that involves quitting my job.

_PinkHairedGuy (9:33:10):_ Just tell her you're going for a break. URGENT, IROCHAN! URGENT!

_Ironeko (9:33:16):_ Whatever. Fine.

* * *

"What now?" Iroha grumbled as she stepped into the house. "It better be something worthwhile, or else—"

"OH, IROHA!" Rin jumped out of the shadows. She seemed to realize her irregular behavior thenafter, because she quickly collected herself. "We've been waiting for a long time…" Rin looked to Kaito for support.

Kaito nodded vigorously. "It's something important." He ushered her inside.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Iroha slammed the table, her eyes wide in shock. Len was staring off into the distance, refusing to look into Iroha's eyes. The brioche Kaito made—which Rin was happily munching—suddenly didn't seem as appetizing. There was a complete, utter silence as Yuuma tried to think of something effective to say and Kaito scrambled for words to assure Iroha that it wasn't as bad as they thought.

Looked like Mission: Kissing would have to wait for a while.

"You're moving?" Iroha asked incredulously. Inside, though, she was thinking, _When have I gotten so attached?_

"The fifteenth," Len replied. He ripped a small part off of his brioche and ate it quietly. "And I'm supposed to be back at my house, so technically I'm making my mom madder by the moment…" He took another tentative bite off of his brioche.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

* * *

A teal-haired woman stood at the doorway, her perfectly manicured fingernails gleaming in the morning sunshine. She was rather well-dressed; a dove-gray dress that trailed along the gravel and the dirt as she walked but yet didn't seem to become dirty, a white-laced parasol in hand. The woman's hair was up in a French bun. Her free hand was clamped down tight on Len's shoulder, as if keeping him there so he would not escape. Her mouth was pursed in a thin, forbidding line, but they were slightly arching up in a cold smile. The smile did not reach her eyes.

"Yuuma," Yuuma finally offered.

"Miku," the woman returned, but coldly. "I take it that you remember me."

"From the phone call, yes."

Len looked alarmingly at Yuuma. The pink-haired man was really quiet, for some reason—Not like his normally hyper self—and Len was getting worried that his mom might have such an effect on Yuuma, too.

"I'll be taking Len now," Miku smiled, steering Len away. He was shocked; she was much stronger than he remembered.

"Y…yes," Yuuma uttered. He stood still as stone. "Tomorrow…May Len come again? We have…matters…to discuss."

"I'm afraid tomorrow is…?"

"The sixth." Yuuma licked his chapped lips, then continued. "So, Len has told me that he will be moving by the fifteenth. We can…we _can_ change a few arrangements, yes?" He eyed Miku nervously, as if she was about to leap forward and wring his neck any second by then. Len sensed a tremor of fury come down Miku's back.

"I'm sorry, that's not available." Miku eyed him coldly.

"Aaah…alright."

* * *

_Back at Len's home~_

Miku practically threw him into his room. Len hit the floor with a thud, wincing and rubbing his backside. He looked up at his mother.

"Such unfashionable clothes," she muttered, walking about his room and throwing whatever it was out of her way. "A casual white jacket over a black shirt with a pink tie? A _pink tie?_" Miku snorted. "Since when did men become so girly? I'm surprised they sell it in the stores these days. And those skintight pants…" She shuddered, but then seemed to remember Len.

"Ah, you." Miku turned to Len with a menacing glare.

"Yes?" Len squeaked. A cloud covered the sun; for a moment, Miku's face shone brightly than before.

"Pack up."

"Already…?"

" _'Already'_?" Miku mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "For your information, it's only nine days until we pull out of this stupid town without a look to spare back. If you don't hurry up and get packing…I'm not even going to explain. You're slowing us all down."

"Yes," Len said miserably, as Miku breezed out the door, slamming it shut. The door bounced on its hinges.

For a moment, Len was left in a silence so eerily quiet he was sure that a ghost might be dwelling just across the room. A ghost of his grandmother, perhaps, who was much nicer than…

That moment, Len happened to look out the window.

The window gave a magnificent view of Iroha's house's backyard.

He saw a girl with pink hair and golden eyes toss an envelope over the fence, landing with a soft thud right in front of his window, but two stories down on the wall.

Iroha.

The rosebush was trimmed neatly; did he just notice that?

Len threw a few pairs of socks, some T-shirts and pants, and other clothing into his open suitcase, which was lying on his floor like an alligator's open jaws. Then he surveyed the room; seeing a bunch of bedsheets, Len got an idea.

His hands worked quickly and braided the bedsheet into a thick white rope. Len unlatched the window and opened it, and threw the rope over the edge. It dangled just above the letter. Perfect. He hooked one end securely onto the window ledge, and then took a deep breath and climbed tentatively down, his eyes trained on the letter.

* * *

The rope burned and slipped in Len's grip. It was hard to keep hold of it, especially since he was just a novice at climbing. It swayed at the slightest breeze, and bucked and threw Len around if a stronger gust of wind happened to come merrily on its way to pick the rope up. Well, not quite as sturdy after all. Indeed, some parts, Len thought he heard a faint _rip_ in the flimsy sheets as he climbed down. There was, really, no place to put his feet on as a support if you don't count the house's boards fitted so tightly together that they made small ridges that ran from one side of the house to the other. The wind whipped at Len's face; he never knew that a simple two-story climb would be so, well, hard. Nonetheless, Len tried to keep track of the letter at all times. After all, it was _it_ that made him climb down; Miku would never let him if he went out the back door.

Soon, Len was just two meters above the letter. _Just two meters…_

Then the cloth ripped.

* * *

He hadn't guessed on landing with a soft thud on the mud. Now that Len looked at it, Iroha had tossed the letter onto mud. Was it "karma" as Iroha had said before, many nights ago, when they saw the "Sun Demon"? (Actually, Len found out it was just a few boys playing with lights.) Len's pants were all dirty, but at least he didn't hurt himself.

Len picked up the letter and brushed the dirt off his thighs.

_Addressed to Len Kagamine, _it read in Iroha's neat handwriting, with some curls and loops added within.

Len looked back up at the rope in despair. Part of it was severed; the other was on the ground. How will he ever be able to explain to Miku about this?_ Don't jinx it_, Len scolded himself. Looking on the bright side, he had the letter.

Len took a deep gulp of air and headed for the backyard's screen door.

* * *

**So did you like it? XD I planned to finish it many days ago, but, well... -shrugs-**

**Hope you liked it~! This was quite the feat for me. 2811 words? Whoa.  
**

**But not as long as some people would have had it. Well, who cares. Managed to add a big paragraph in between; yes, I actually keep track of this. XD Well, we're getting to an end. XD Looks like my early prediction of seven chapters was terrible. I expect twenty-two chapters now, and... _*feeds KaiKi2012 her cheesecake*_ An epilogue.  
**

**Maybe I should make a sequel, because the ending I have in mind isn't the best in the whole entire world.  
Or maybe the epilogue should contribute to the sequel.  
**

**If anybody wants their opinion in, well, they're going to have to prepare for a few spoilers. But not much. I need someone to consult.  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	19. Chapter 18: More Fluffs

**DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN.**

**Just when I think FanFiction. Net is done updating...  
**

**TA DA~! Another batch of updating comes up.  
Man, does my life suck.  
**

* * *

_Chapter 18_

To Len's gratefulness, Miku did not spare him much less a glance when he entered, mud-splattered, into the house. In fact, she barely raised her eyes from the mixed fruits she was sharing with Sora, while they were talking about random things with a notebook and calendar splayed out in front of them. Len was able to walk by without Miku or Sora questioning him about anything.

_Her niceness was just a play,_ Len thought.

He reached back up to his room on top of the stairs, and unfolded the letter.

* * *

Gumi hung the "come back later" sign onto the door of her bakery and locked the door. After Iroha left, talking about a "family emergency" and a stuttering Big Al tried to ask her something about the girls, she positively needed a break in the fresh air to clear her mind of thoughts.

The sky was a clear, china blue. She could see the faint smoke curl up in wisps in the old-scale part of town, and the bunches of chimneys poking up. The sun shone brightly and with vigor; only a few pathetic excuses as clouds could be seen in the sky, and most of those clouds were just illusions made by the sunlight shining on the smoke. Gumi walked down the slope.

_Come on, did he even reply to my text yet?_ she thought with a sigh, flipping open her cell phone.

No. He didn't.

Other than a few texts from inquiring new customers, there was nothing. Nothing to look at; simply an empty inbox.

Gumi stuck her cell phone in the pocket, her eyes on her feet taking each step. How funny. She had never quite thought about that before. Her concentration was fully on the movements of her feet, seemingly having a mind of their own instead of following her brain's commands. But then, if she wanted to, she could make them do something else.

How mysterious and strange the human body was.

There was a good reason to keep staring at that, and thus Gumi didn't notice herself walk right smack into a man.

A purple-haired man.

"Hi," Gumi squeaked, not sure of how to react of seeing Gakupo right here. This was, in fact, the road that led only to her bakery. What was he doing here, then, on the way to her bakery? This was stupid; she should be the one in confidence here.

But Gakupo was kind of wan too.

"Hi." He kept his eyes on a shrub, which was quivering as a squirrel popped up from it; then, seeing the two adults, tucked its tail between its legs and ran away.

_Make some conversation._ "Isn't he cute?" Gumi asked finally.

Gakupo blinked. "Hmm?"

"The little squirrel. Wasn't he cute?"

"I guess so…"

"Why…did you come here?" Gumi blurted, then clapped her hand over her mouth after realizing that it was probably kind of rude to ask so straightforwardly. But then, there wasn't quite much harm, was there?

"To say sorry…?"

"Sorry? For what?"

"And thank you."

"Rewind, rewind. Why sorry?" Gumi plopped down on a log lying next to the shrub; then, feeling movement scurrying inside it, quickly shot off and dusted off her backside, laughing awkwardly. "What was just that?" She looked back at the log; it was still once again.

Two beady eyes of a whiskered rodent suddenly popped up from the log.

"A rat," Gakupo said.

"How are you so sure that it's a rat? Not something else?"

"Because I've seen them before, and people have identified them to me," Gakupo said simply.

"I see."

"Anyway…" Gakupo frowned, looking away. "I wanted to say sorry for leaving you so suddenly. I saw those text messages you sent, I was too much of a…a coward. Or maybe a slacker. I just didn't know how to respond." He fished his phone—which was strangely in the shape of an eggplant—out of his back pocket, and flipped it open, showing Gumi the text messages. They were all read, but not replied to. "See?"

Gumi, seeing this, laughed.

Gakupo frowned again. "What's so funny?"

"You must've felt pretty special," Gumi said with a smirk. "While I felt like a foreveralone."

"Wait, what's a—"

" _'Roses are red, I have a phone, nobody texts me, foreveralone,'_" Gumi recited. She turned back to Gakupo's confused face. "Man, can't you take a joke?" She swatted his face playfully.

"You know, you should really give credit where credit is due," Gakupo said, though he was beginning to show traces of a smile.

"I can't find the author," Gumi explained. "Or else, I would have. I'm not that heartless."

"I know you're not." Gakupo was quiet for a moment, then he added, "Also, I wanted to say thank you, because…" Gumi could have broken an egg onto Gakupo's cheeks and made her a snack, they were so red and hot.

"Because?" Gumi prodded.

"Because…Because I gave them another try." Before Gumi could say something—she was about to—Gakupo continued hurriedly, " 'Them' meaning my parents. I sent them a letter asking them if they'd like to live with me again, and that I'd redo my highschool education by night school, and perhaps do some college_…What?_" He asked Gumi, who was grinning so hard she thought her face was going to split.

"They'd like to live with you again? You couldn't do any better than that?"

"Try to talk to someone you haven't seen in a few years," Gakupo shot back.

Gumi laughed. "Lighten up. I'm going to have to teach you how to know when people are joking. Meanwhile, let's catch up on your education."

"Wait…wait—_what_?" Gakupo was dragged toward her bakery with Gumi's relentless force.

"If your parents really are that tough on you, you'd better expect them to have high expectations of you and your education," Gumi shouted back over her shoulder. "And I'm here to help ya."  
Then she pecked him on the cheek and ran off, screaming, "Catch me if you can!"

Meanwhile, Gakupo was just standing there.

Dumbstruck.

He reflected on what Mikuo once said when he was drunk—something about Gumi and him being childhood friends. _Was she always like this, or is this just a side that she keeps hidden most of the time?_ Gakupo thought with a sigh.

Nonetheless, he was quite happy for the chase.

* * *

That was practically a rejection.

Iroha Nekomura had rejected Big Al, the most handsomest guy in the universe, unknowingly.

But there was a particular blonde Big Al had his eyes on…

Her name was Lily.

_I'll have to be content with staring at her for a time,_ Big Al thought, sighing. _Because apparently she's got a boyfriend. Oh well._

* * *

The paper was crisp and crinkled. Len smoothed the corners down, occasionally glancing up at the door in case Miku had somehow teleported there and was now staring at him disapprovingly. After several checks to make sure Miku was, indeed, _not_ glaring at him in the doorway, Len finally relaxed and sat down to read the letter.

_Len-_

_Sorry that your mom came. She seems like a pretty feelingless being...I feel sorry for you all over again. No, don't ask, don't make me.  
_

_My dad was talking something about a cake. Kaito and Rin seem pretty excited, too Are you in that plot or something?  
I have so many questions. Not sure if you can answer all of them... Especially since you've been grounded. Oh well.  
_

_Oh, and if you're going to do some chivalrous attempt to retrieving this letter...  
_

_Len Kagamine, you have to be certain that there's a certain blonde that you've been friends with for a long time taping you at the window.  
_

_That's all I can say about that. No matter how much I coax her, she just won't get peeled off of there. Plans on posting a video called Len's Most Embarrassing Moments_*****_ on that American NicoNico Douga or something. What do they call it? Oh yeah, YouTube._

_I still really can't believe you're moving. Part of me is wondering how, but...  
_

_I just realized, as you were leaving, that I have feelings for you.  
_

_No, not love. Love is just too phony. Did I ever mention my dad? Yeah, he talks about love a LOT. It used to be about my mom, now it's about "Luna Amane". I guess it's that since Mom died he's been looking for another partner. If I was typing this right now, I would have put one of those close-eyed expressions that have a sweatdrop. You know those? Yup.  
_

_I just have, well, a mutual attraction...  
_

_If you really do move, let's keep in touch. If you don't, I'm going to go track you to Tokyo and...  
Give you a good lecture, at least.  
_

_-Iroha  
_

Part of Len wanted to laugh, part of him wanted to become cloudy-eyed and sentimental, and part of Len wanted to become guilty. He reread the part about Iroha's feelings over and over. How was he supposed to react? Happy? Embarrassed? An "I-told-myself-so" attitude?

All Len could think is, _I'm going to miss you._

_And you._ He thought of Gumi.

_And you._ His teachers.

_And you._ Even Lily.

He got up, hearing a faint crack in his wrist that signified that he was giving it a good stretch. _Well, I'd better get packing._

A bit discouraged, he looked around the room, but pretty much everything was neat so that would be okay.

_It's going to be okay,_ Len thought to himself as he miserably threw another few pairs of socks into his open suitcase.

* * *

*** - If someone honestly wants to do something like that on YouTube, like design Len falling from the window and all, complete with that voice... I'm going to laugh. A lot. And I'm going to share that on Quizilla, here, and whichever place I could think of.**

**My sister is crying, everyone is in a bad mood. -.-  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	20. Chapter 19: That Dramatic Life of Mine

**Don't know why, but I've been slacking off lately...**

**Also, I need to edit some stuffs. My spacing between time is very irregular, and it's wrong. So the date for Len's move is changed to July 15th, you hear? July 15th.  
**

**Now, I stretched the limit of chapters. 25 should be enough. If that's not, then 30.  
Also, to "Ryuusei", who reviewed _Faithless Regrets-_ **Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry for making this public, but you wrote an anonymous review. XD I checked my Legacy User Stats and I couldn't guess; I didn't want to falsely claim it was someone either. XD Thanks for the compliment~**  
**

* * *

_Chapter 19_

There was a knock on the door. Len perked up, but realizing that it might not really _be_ anyone, he sighed and continued with cleaning up his room. Downstairs, he could hear Miku calling, "I'll get it!" and a flurry of footsteps followed.

_Hurry up, Len, and clean up already,_ Len scolded himself.

* * *

Rin giggled to herself as she replayed her tape over and over. Kaito was smiling, and Iroha was facepalming. She had gotten back from throwing her letter over the fence, and was now watching as Rin uploaded her video up on YouTube. But while the outside Rin was displaying a façade of cheerfulness, the inside Rin's mind was churning with a ferocity that only a terribly angry sumo wrestler can counter.

_If we're going to make them kiss by tonight…__Then we'll have to begin now…And now that I look at it, Teto can't be that much of a help since she's in another town altogether…Agh._

A plan slowly formed in her head. _Len, eh? There's nothing I can't beat…_

"Hey Iroha," Rin said, turning around. "Wanna come with me to Len's house?"

* * *

Miku was expecting a salesman to be at the door, and she was planning to ward him off with her sexiness. But when she opened the door…

"I think I remember you from somewhere…" Miku rubbed her temples, looking at the blonde and the pink-haired. _Of course I remember the pinkette,_ Miku thought sarcastically. _She'_s _that rude neighbor's daughter. But this girl, in front of me…She must be one of those immature little cookie Girl Scout sellers,_ Miku decided. "I'll buy your mint-chocolate chips another time." Before she could close the door in the short blondie's face, however, the stupid girl with the guts spoke up.

The nerve.

"We're here to see Len," with a smile plastered on.

"Sorry, Len's not available," Miku said, making her point as clear as she could by her voice.

The blonde pouted and folded her arms over her flowwy white dress. "He's in his room. How can he not be available?"

"He's cleaning it up," Miku said carefully.

"We can help him," Blondie suggested brightly.

_When did Girl Scouts _ever_ become so persistent?_ Miku groaned to herself. But then, if a Girl Scout went up and helped Len clean up…it'd minus all the time…And they could move sooner… "Fine," Miku decided. "You can go, but _you_"—Mku pointed a sharp teal fingernail at Iroha—"stay here?"

The blonde frowned. "But if Iroha's here it's more fun!"

_And when did Girl Scouts become so whiny?_

"She's right," Iroha spoke up. "I don't mean to brag, but when I moved here, _I_ was the one who cleaned up everything, and sorted them, so my dad could pack them into boxes."

Miku was weakening her grip. _Oh damn, my sexiness doesn't work on girls._ "You girls go up, then, but _hurry the hell up_ or I'll kick you out with my boot."

"Got it," Blondie said, grinning again.

* * *

_Anything else?_ Len looked around his now-barren room, stripped of his possessions. There was only an empty cabinet, some things he'd chose to leave behind, and some coat racks hanging around. He'd zipped up his suitcase, and was now observing his cleanup skills.

There was nothing left.

Just when Len was about to go downstairs to tell Miku he was ready, the door banged open and Rin and Iroha stood at the doorway.

_Wait…what?_

"Hi, Len," said Rin, sticking her tongue out at him. "I persuaded your mommy to let us in for a while. But looks like you did all of the 'cleaning' yourself. Oh well." She said cleaning in such a way that could have been funny if Len wasn't the one moving, but since he was, he didn't as much crack a smile at Rin's would-be humorous comment. Rin saw this, and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Did she really not know? "I'm moving."

"Yeah, but what's wrong?"

"I'm moving is what's wrong." Len plopped down on his suitcase.

Iroha glanced at Rin. "What are we supposed to do now…?"

"Well, first thing we do, we walk into the room…"

Len couldn't help it. Rin was trying to make him laugh, and he smiled weakly. Just a bit would do.

"THERE IT IS! THAT SHY SMILE!" Before he knew it, Rin and Len were in a ferocious pillow fight, feathers flying everywhere. Iroha just stood there, mouth agape, at the doorway. As if she were paranoid, she kept glancing back. _If she sees us goofing around… _

"Iroha, aren't you coming too?" Rin asked, noticing Iroha's stoic stance at the doorway.

"No…I'm just here because you told me, so—"

"Iroha, you're no fun!" Rin was surprisingly strong, and she grabbed Iroha's arm and dragged her into the fight.

As Iroha was being hurried toward Len, Rin suddenly stuck her foot in the way of Iroha's running, and Iroha, not being able to decipher what just happened, flew forward and landed on Len's chest. She blinked; their faces were so close, about a decimeter apart. Iroha tried to clamber off, but apparently their arms were tangled in some sort of thread, so she couldn't.

"…What just happened?" Len asked weakly.

"Come on, Iroha!" Rin loomed over them. Her normally short figure was gigantic to the two, since they were on the floor.

"Come on, what?" She sincerely did not know what Rin was talking about.

Rin frowned. "Well, I _really_ don't like doing this, but…" As she leaned down, the palm of her hand connected with Iroha's back, and she sprawled out flat against Len's chest. There was no way to right herself now; she was leaning closer and closer because of that damned gravity—

_Flesh._

The feel of soft flesh on her lips, pressing gently.

Golden eyes snapped wide. Sky blue eyes were just as wide, and a blush was worn on each of their faces.

Len's lips were surprisingly reminiscent of banana.

Iroha's was of honeysuckle.

"Well, look here," a high voice boomed from the doorway.

Iroha immediately jerked off of Len; Len sat up quickly; and Rin gulped.

The furious, flushed face of Miku greeted each of their eyes.

In her hand was a black leather boot, its tip molded into a very sharp point.

It had a very high heel, too.

"RUN FOR OUR LIVES!" Rin screamed as she pulled Iroha out of the room, dodging Miku's swings.

* * *

"And you, young man," Miku glowered at a cowering Len, who had a hand over his mouth. She stepped forward, leaning over him until their mouths were only about two centimeters apart. "I told you to clean up your room—"

"I did," Len said, turning red at the closeness of their faces.

Miku looked around. She did have to admit, grudgingly, he did a pretty good job. Only the heavy items remained. _Defeated twice today?_ A flame of anger clutched at Miku's insides, but she refused to be taken. "Very well. Then…you may stay inside for the rest of the day, and the days that follow until we pull out of this." When Len made a sound to protest, she clapped her hand over his mouth. "No arguments. I'm getting tired of teenager stunts, and you _will_ do what I ask. Got it?" Miku's eyes were wide and commanding, and she brandished the boot dangerously in one hand.

"I got it," Len said in a small voice.

As a result, many boring hours of the day came as Len stared idly out the window the entire time.

* * *

Meanwhile, Big Al was having a much more eventful weekend.

He had asked Lily out with him; thankfully, she had accepted. As they sat at the table facing the sidewalk that _would_ have been Albert's and Iroha's-but-Iroha-refused, Big Al was in a blissful peace. Of course, he kept glancing at her perfect, doll-like face, wondering what she'd say.

"It's nice of you to take me out like this," Lily finally said.

"Of course~"

"May I ask…why?"

Big Al frowned. _What?_ This wasn't what he was expecting.

"Well, naturally…you're such a beauty…" _Oops. Not what I planned on saying._ Big Al blushed and clapped his hand over his mouth. Lily raised a golden eyebrow and pushed her coffee away, leaning forward, her glossy hair swaying in the sunshine.

"In that case, I must give a kiss as a gift."

And thus this left Big Al sitting at the iron table for many minutes to come as Lily blew a kiss with her fingernails and swept away.

"Well, ta-ta! I have to go meet my boyfriend~"

_She has a boyfriend _already_? _Big Al thought in dismay. But as he watched Lily go…He couldn't help but feel like a big goal of his life had been accomplished.

* * *

_**Hours**** later~**_

"My mom should come soon," Rin told Yuuma. Yuuma frowned and patted her shoulder.

"Is that so? You could've stayed longer…"

"Yeah, but we already spent so much of your time…" Kaito jumped in. "And besides, Rin got them to kiss~! Mission: Make them Kiss is officially accomplished!"

Yuuma grinned at that. "Yes, that—"

The doorbell rang.

"MOOOM~" Rin said excitedly and ran for the door.

* * *

"YOU'RE—" The two adults faced each other in shock. Rin, Kaito, and Iroha stood off to the side, not sure of what to do. Luna and Yuuma were pointing to each other, both with mouths open wide. Luna had gotten a perm and Yuuma had gotten his hair cut in a bob, of what Luna could make of it. Both were thinking the other was just what they called 'DA BOMB~'.

"Luna-chan?" Yuuma managed.

"Yuuma-kun?" Luna whispered.

"IT'S REALLY YOU!" The Nekomura and the revolutionary Amane embraced each other, hard, like little kids.

"Uh…Do you know how to deal with this situation?" Rin mumbled out of the corner of her mouth to Kaito, who shook his head, his mouth agape at the two adults behaving this way.

"I never knew they had so much in common," Iroha muttered, then realizing what she said; "I–I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE YOUR MOM IS BAD OR ANYTHING…It's just…well, I never knew there was another parent like my dad…"

Rin sweatdropped. "Well, I usually never see this side…"

"…"

"Just when she's excited though…"

Iroha sighed. "That would explain a lot."

"HEY, YOU KIDS!" Yuuma yelled, still in his ferocious embrace. "COME ON, LET'S PLAN THE WEDDING~! IT SHOULD BE TOMORROW! RIGH', LUNA? RIGHT?"

"RIGHT! RIGHT!"

"…Rin…I think your mom just made my dad drunk…"

"Don't look at me like that! …Besides, it isn't my fault…"

And then Yuuma cried because Luna had to go take Rin back with her to that Hokkaido town.

And then Luna cried because Yuuma couldn't come with her.

"Someday, Yuuma-dear," Luna promised tearfully, climbing into the car. _I wanna punch her senses back so badly,_ thought Rin, but Kaito elbowing her made her think better of it. Luna continued, "Someday, we'll meet again."

"And someday," Yuuma said, wiping his tears, "someday, we'll marry."

"Yes, Yuuma-kun, we'll marry."

"Bye-bye, Luna-chaaaan!"

"Bye to you too, Yuuma-kuuuuuun!"

And then they drove into the sunset.

Iroha rolled her eyes as Yuuma went back into the house with her. "So that's the Luna Amane you keep talking abou—? OW!"

"Don't talk to my sweetie like that! Other than Iana, I love her most!"

"…"

And the sun dropped over the hills as more yelling emanated from the Nekomura house, echoing for miles around. ("What was that?" asked Gakupo. "Nothing, I would guess," Gumi replied calmly.) And of course, a flock of seagulls were scared off.

It wouldn't be normal if they _weren't _scared off by Yuuma and Iroha's combined shouts.

_…Just like the omake to an episode of anime,_ thought Len, who had watched the entire scene from his window.

* * *

**Phew! Finally done! I wanna publish this as quickly as I can.~**

**Review please!  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	21. Chapter 20: Goodbyes

**The next chapter. Are you happy, my darlings? :DDDD **

* * *

_Chapter 20_

The next days passed by in a blur to Len. There was, first and foremost, a lot of "sightseeing". Technically, it wasn't sightseeing because Len knew pretty much everything in the town, and where they went, but Yuuma insisted on keeping a few "awesome memories with an awesome person" together. That, of course, must have meant either Yuuma himself or Iroha. Either way, Gumi and Gakupo were somehow included in the entire thing. So were Big Al and Lily—Lily actually volunteered herself when she saw Yuuma pulling Len around her rose gardens. If Lily went, of course Big Al had to go to gawk at her beauty. Gumi and Gakupo simply came because they had nothing else to do—nothing else to do together. In reality, Gumi was quite busy.

So about two or three days before Len had to pull out, everyone was sampling mass amounts of perfume Lily's maids made. "The very finest," Lily declared, grandly setting another bottle of perfume under Len's nose.

At first, the smell was comforting. There were orange scents, which Rin would love, lavender scents, tea scents, honeydew scents, and of course rose scents. After a while, the perfume became boring. Gumi tried to keep awake and smile as one of Lily's maids droned on and on to her about the powers of perfume during baking. Gakupo actually attempted an escape. Meanwhile, Iroha and Len were pretty much pinned to the chairs.

Which left Yuuma to wander around.

Yuuma, somehow, always popped in at the worst moments. Like when Iroha nearly sneezed as a too-sharp scent of perfume reached her nose (Yuuma took a picture of that); when Len almost kissed Iroha again because they were smelling the same thing obliviously (another picture); and when Gakupo nearly grabbed Len's privates because Lily had yanked something away from him (which resulted in uncontrollable laughter from Gumi and Yuuma, Iroha trying to hide her giggles by facepalming, and a blushing Len and Gakupo).

"Do you have to live through this every day?" Iroha asked a maid who was handing her a perfume that had the scent of pine trees.

The maid smiled slightly out of amusement. "It's better than trying to help Miss Lily pick out her lingerie for the day."

"What's that?" Lily barked from across the room, shoving a scent under Len's nose. "For your information, Aoki Lapis, the perfumes are at their _very finest_ and I plan to buy the Essence of Roses any day now. How can I tell whether they're any good if I don't employ people to smell them?"

"Well, that's Lily for you," Aoki said with a shrug as she headed off.

Len joined Iroha at her spot, which was faintest from all the thick stuff Lily was making him taste with his nose. "My nostrils hurt already, and it's not even been an hour. Are we seriously staying here for a day?"

"Where do you expect?" Iroha replied, rolling her eyes. "My dad…He's like the fiercest supporter of perfume…"

"So is my mom, and she doesn't like your dad."

"I guess people have different preferences. Hey, is there a glass of water anywhere? All this perfume makes me seriously thirsty…" Iroha stood up, making an earsplitting screech as she pushed her metal chairs on the tiles toward the table.

"CAREFUL THERE!" Lily bellowed, handing a gagging Gakupo perfume that had the scent of eggs (which were _total_ enemies of eggplants, by the way).

"Where's the kitchen?" Iroha asked.

"What about the kitchen?" Lily snapped.

"I need water…"

"GO ASK AOKI! AOKIIIIIIII!"

Thus, the day passed in that manner.

* * *

Actually, it wasn't the first that was like this. The day right after, Lily insisted for them to visit her hut in the old-scale part of town. It was quite charming, but the way the residents came out of their houses and gawked at them made Len uncomfortable. However, he had to admit, the view of the sunset there was quite marvelous. The colors wove themselves into each other, making it like a huge silken mat to behold. A few puffy clouds floated in the sky, illuminated red by the sun, and cutting irregularly-shaped wedges out of the huge yellow sun.

"That reminds me of an egg," Gumi said.

"Don't talk about eggs," Gakupo groaned. "I've had enough of eggs at Lily's house."

"Maybe it can be a squashed banana peel," Iroha suggested, out of Len's sake since she knew already that he liked bananas. Len, however, simply gave her a horrified look, as if she was wishing bad luck on bananas. "What?"

"That does _not_ look like a squashed banana peel. Just thinking about it makes me…Bleh."

"Anyway, you're moving out tomorrow, right?" inquired Albert Eberhardt, turning toward Len. He swept a gloved hand through his clipped-short brown hair.

"Yeah…"

There was a pause. Gumi looked like she wanted to make Len to stay—so did Yuuma—Iroha didn't betray any emotion; Big Al seemed like he didn't particularly care; Lily was absorbed in her own world telling a wincing Gakupo all about the wonders of the sky and her hut; and Gakupo was trying to avoid her and follow the conversation that the rest of them were taking on.

"Can't your mother just postpone it?" Yuuma groaned. That morning, he had seen the trucks line up in front of the house. Len had already gone to see his new apartment; it wasn't anything special, simply a few rooms thrown together with a poor paint job and wretched furniture. He didn't know—he _really_ didn't know—why Miku would choose that grimy home in the midst of a crowded city over a beautiful two-story house in a town that had clear air. In any case, there wasn't any way to stop it. It was just so futile…

"I hate this," Iroha burst out.

Everyone looked at her in surprise. She was not one to lose her calm aura.

"You have a terrible mother who only cares about her boyfriends, you have to move into Tokyo and probably destroy your lungs, you have to uproot, and you have to move when we're just building up a rela—never mind." She blushed. Even though she had become true to her love to Len, Iroha was still not comfortable with everyone's acknowledge.

_Ahhh. I see some true love in the work here,_ Yuuma thought to himself. _If only Rin and Kaito could see this…!_

"I–in any case, we have to go now," Iroha said quickly. "I mean, it's like seven forty-five and we should _really_ go back and eat dinner…"

"Oh, I know a place near here that sells really good grilled fish with lemon juice over it and a side of carrot greens and sliced cucumbers," Lily jumped in. "It's called Oliver's Place, I think, and he's a really hot dude who I'm…"

"TMI," Len interrupted. "I really need to go, or else Tiger Mom will—" He blushed furiously, because Lily cut him short with a kiss.  
Iroha frowned, and Big Al's mouth hung unhinged.

"Remember me forever, okay?" she asked coolly, then smiled and walked away, dragging Big Al with her.

"Well…I suppose we do have to say our goodbyes…" Gumi stood in front of Len, and took a deep breath. She leaned forward and whispered something incoherent to Iroha in his ears, but she knew it had to do with her because Gumi's eyes were on her the entire time. Then she gave him a hug, and elbowed Gakupo pointedly.

Gakupo blinked. "Huh?"

Gumi sighed, rolling her eyes. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

"Bye," Gakupo said. There was nothing more to say. Len and Gakupo didn't know each other that well.

"Thanks," is what Len could make of an answer. It felt _really_ awkward to be talking to a stranger. Gumi facepalmed, but the warmth inside her eyes told that she loved Gakupo all the same. She patted Len and pulled him away, walking to her bakery together.

Yuuma sighed as he watched her go. "Nice lady, isn't she?"

"Dad, don't tell me…"

Yuuma flashed his daughter a grin. "No, no, Iroha. I shall pursue Luna to the ends of—"

"Right," Iroha cut in. She looked at Len, and he was surprised to see her lip quivering. "Well, uh…see you…"

"Tomorrow," Len said.

"That's the spirit!" Yuuma cheered, slapping him on the back.

Iroha gave them both a look. "You two are _weird_."

"Guy language," Len tried to explain. "Like, hitting me means that I did a good job, cuddling me means that they feel sorry for me and that I'm cute, and so on…" It was a pitiful excuse, but he had to cover up for Yuuma somehow. That guy didn't really mean to be so obvious, Len could tell, but surprises were surprises.

"Yeah, I understand."

Silence.

"So, see you tomorrow…?" Len waited for an answer.

Iroha only nodded.

"I have to go now," Len stammered. He quickly said goodbye to Yuuma, and turned around and walked toward his own house. As Iroha and Yuuma watched, Len first took hesitant steps, then they became a jog, and lastly the jog's pace quickened into a run. Iroha kept her eyes on Len's flapping jacket as he broke into a full sprint, until she couldn't see him anymore.

"Time to go now," she sighed, turning back to her father.

Yuuma wore a grin the size of…of his thick skull. "True love, eh?"

"…Shut up."

_Yeah Len, you had **better** write, or else I'll force you. Some way_.

Yup, that sounded like a good plan.

* * *

**Scratching at a mosquito bite on my am... -.- And we near the end~! I still need to decide. Should I make the epilogue of Len and Iroha parting (which would ruin the entire mood of the chapter before the epilogue but whatever), or should I make them reunite? Or give a hopeful epilogue, like Len's in the same town again and he hopes he'll see her again or whatever? Come on, tell me.  
**

**Nonetheless, I might finish this the next chapter. *pats _Lemon and S__trawberry Cake_ on the back* This old thing began at the beginning of summer break, took me like the entire summer to write. XD Well, I enjoyed it a lot.  
**

**Damn, I'm making myself sentimental.  
**

**Review!  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	22. Chapter 21: Dads Will Be Dads

**Wow, thanks for 50+ reviews~! 8D**

** I'm working on a MikuKai story, too. -.- I have so many ideas...just never put to use...I already dropped a MikuKai one that was called "Worth a Problem", based off of Rolling Girl. Maybe I'll post it later, but for now... -.- You can go view it on Quizilla. stories/23810472/worth-a-problem **

* * *

_Chapter 21 _

Len's running.

It's the same road that runs in front of his house, leading off to somewhere he can't remember. Only this time, it's not straight. It's in strange curves and patterns…and it never seems to end. Gasping for air, Len pushes himself on.

His feet have a strange thrumming noise as they hit the pavement, almost like his heart.

There are shouts and screams behind him. Miku's, he could recognize. Sora's, not so much. But Yuuma? Yes, his voice is in there too…

Suddenly Len trips, and he falls forward to—

* * *

Len startled awake as a pillow landed atop his head. He ripped off the pillow and blinked, his sky blue eyes just adjusting to the darkness. A slice of moonlight fell from the crack in the curtains. With a pang, Len realized that this was his last night in this town. But for some reason, Len felt…felt as if he was being watched. He looked again at the window, and suddenly a pair of sea green eyes met his gaze.

Len opened his mouth to scream, but none came out.

He watched, frozen with terror, as the eyes bobbed up and down. How could _eyes_ go up and down? But they did, and as he stared back, there was some familiarity about the salmon-pink hair illuminated in the—

"Mr. Nekomura?" Len blurted.

_"Yuuma,"_ the pinkhead corrected him, expertly sliding open his window and jumping inside. "Come on, let's go to my house."

"But it's…" Len looked lamely at the clock. "…midnight," he finished. "Eleven fifty-five…"

Yuuma grinned. "Is that so! Well, let's wake her up at the strike of midnight, and then spoon some cake into her mouth, and then…" His expression suddenly clouded over, and he cast Len a sheepish gaze. "Oops…There was a hole in my plan. Deepest apologies, Len."

"What are you talking about?"

"I kinda sorta totally woke Iroha up."

"…"

"I know!" Yuuma heaved an aggravated sigh. "Now we wouldn't be able to activate the plan…"

_What is he _talking_ about?_ Len thought, slightly annoyed and mostly perplexed. _He's the one who woke me up in the middle of the night, talking about a cake, and now he's being overdramatic, and why can't I just give her the cake while she's awake? It'll be much less awkward… _Len suddenly reflected back to the day of the kissing, and felt a slight blush rise upon his cheeks. He was grateful that he was in the shadows, or else Yuuma would have started ranting about true love and his sweetheart Luna, who Len was right about—She _is_ Rin's mother.

Yuuma, meanwhile, was closely watching Len's face. He couldn't see much, but he guessed that Len was thinking about it. Right on cue, Len lifted his head and suggested, "Why don't we just give it to her now?"

It was eleven fifty-six.

"But it would be a lot less—" Yuuma began to object, but shut his mouth. _I can't reveal my plan to him! Then he'll think I'm a balmy old man who wants to marry his daughter off! But I really truly totally believe in true love! _"Alright," Yuuma finally agreed.

"We'll have to be fast, though." The second hand moved down to six—the minute hand moved just slightly toward eleven fifty-seven. "My mom—"

"Of course I know about your mom, Len!" Yuuma chirped excitedly. "I'll be extra-careful!"

Len sweatdropped. _He doesn't get it… _

* * *

Just outside the house, Yuuma gave Len the cake. "Now be extra careful," he instructed Len. "It would be totally _BEEP _if Iroha saw it ruined…" And then he skipped away to hide behind a hedge, leaving Len to ponder what "beep" meant.

No matter. Len took opened the box, and revealed the cake.

And nearly choked.

The words "LEN + IROHA" was written with strawberry jam on the white surface of the cake. Just over the plus sign were the figurines of Len and Iroha sitting together, gazing affectionately into each other's faces. It was so cheesy that he wanted to run somewhere and bury his head in dirt like an ostrich would with sand. But he couldn't do that, because—ahem—Yuuma-was-spying-on-them-from-the-hedge-so-he-would-be-killed-by-one-of-those-lectures-if-he-ran-away-so-too-bad-for-him.

Len took a deep, shaky breath and knocked on the wooden door.

* * *

"What was all that thumping all about?" Iroha wondered to herself, lying facedown on her bed. She was rather too tired to move—or too sleepy. Whatever.

The point was, Yuuma had been thumping around in his room across from hers. And heaven knows what kind of noise he could make if he set his mind to it. _Why did I have to be such a light sleeper?_ Iroha groaned as she looked toward the figurine of Luka.

Her stomach gave a low growl.

_And that's another thing,_ Iroha thought. _I wake up in the middle of the night, I'm always hungrier than I usually am when I wake up to bright daylight. _

Soon her stomach began screaming for food. Not screaming, but sending vibrations throughout her body until it got so incredibly annoying that Iroha finally sat up in defeat. Not bothering to smooth her tousled hair, nor to fix up the covers, Iroha proceeded down the stairs, growling to herself the entire time. Just as Iroha was about to raid the cupboards for a cookie, someone knocked the door.

_…It's probably Dad__. The idiot must have locked himself out again… _She rolled her eyes as she walked toward the door.

* * *

It was Iroha.

Iroha it was.

Len could only guess how pathetic he looked then, his eyes popping at the sight of Iroha in her white pajamas with pink cat-prints all over it. She wore a similar look of shock on her face. Both sides were blushing and looking disbelieving.

"Iroha?" Len mumbled.

"I'm hungry," Iroha muttered, her eyes drawn to the cake.

"Er, yeah." Len held it out.

"Was that the pastry everyone was talking about? Like Gumi and your dad and you?"

"I guess."

…

"Can I eat it?"

"Sure."

* * *

Len spent the next three hours with the Nekomura family, eating the cake and talking about random stuff that was random. Sure, it was midnight, but he felt better eating cake in the front yard with Iroha and Yuuma rather than in the daylight, when passersby would stop and stare at them and wonder—or even ask—if Len was in a relationship with Iroha. Like relationships were that easy to obtain.

"So you're moving by three-thirty a.m.?" Iroha finally asked, spooning the last bite of cake into her mouth.

Len nodded. "I would prefer it not to, but…That's the time when Miku avoids traffic and car crashes most often…" He laughed slightly at Iroha's and Yuuma's horrified faces. _Iroha's expressions sure do take after her father's. _

"This is going to be so tragic, I can't even watch," Yuuma moaned. "Like _Romeo and Juliet_."

"We're not going to _die_, Dad," Iroha protested, poking him with her elbow. "Now get up."

"I will, without Len! AW LENNY, GIMME A HUG!"

"Dad, please tell me now that you are _not_ going gay."

"Hey, it's guy stuff! YOU CAN DO THIS, LENNY!"

"…Er…Okay…"

"DAT MY BOY!"

"…Morons, both of you…Morons…"

"She says that with love, Lenny!"

"…I know that…"

Finally Len pushed away his plate. "I have to go now," he said apologetically. Iroha immediately loosened her headlock, which she was holding Yuuma in. Her golden eyes were wide with an emotion that surprised Len—disbelief.

"Already?"

"Well…yeah…So I guess this is the end…Thanks." Len smiled weakly and stood up, ready to go back to get his suitcase, but Iroha put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

Iroha sighed and pushed away her bangs, facing Len. "Look, Len. This isn't the end."

"Isn't the end," Len repeated, though with an edge of uncertainty.

"Just…" She stared intensely into his eyes, and Yuuma could almost hear the crack of tough love electricity. "Just…keep in touch, alright?" Suddenly her grip on his shoulder slackened, and Len was surprised yet again by the tears in her eyes. "Damn you, Len…you were _the first person_ who I befriended when I'm moving here, and now you're moving…" She was getting so emotional, it shocked even herself.

Nonetheless, the moment was broken.

"Take care, Len," Iroha said halfheartedly, as Yuuma crammed another piece of cake into Len's mouth before Len turned away the second time.

"Thanks." He could hear his own voice cracking.

"I'll be…watching you as you drive away, okay? And you better email me…"

"Yeah. We will. Communicate, I mean."

"That's great. Now get onto your lazy butt before your mother kills you."

Len had to grin at Iroha's dry humor. "Got it, ma'am." Then he ran off, toward his own house.

"I'll miss the guy," Yuuma sighed once Len was out of earshot.

"Shut up, Dad. Let's get a camera to record our last moments with him in this year."

Yuuma turned toward Iroha, surprised. "You're filming the sad moments?"

Iroha shrugged. "Nothing like a little tear in a while." She gave him a gentle push toward the house. "Come _on,_ Dad. You go get the camera, and I'll clean this mess up." Iroha gestured toward the table. "It's not hard to do—_Dad!_" Yuuma was looking longingly at the last slice of cake. Iroha sighed and crossed her arms. "Do I have to repeat myself—?"

"CAMERA, HERE I COME!" Yuuma hollered, not bothering to hear Iroha finish her sentence.

Iroha rolled her eyes. _Dads will be dads._

* * *

**And we near the end~! The last chapter will be a combo of the last chapter and epilogue.**

**Man, I rarely hear from the rest of you anymore! (Other than Ten-Faced, AwesomeSaucelv8, KaiKi2012, and japaneserockergirl I mean.) I have decided the epilogue. Thanks everyone! And vote on my poll! (Which has nothing to do with this story, by the way, but I'll be happy. :9)  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	23. Chapter 22: We'll Meet Again

**I'm in low spirits lately. :'( I just feel unsettled...Oh well, I take things too seriously. Next chapter, up~ **

**By the way, did I ever mention to vote on my poll? Also, I've decided to do this last chapter until epilogue a full chapter. Forgive its shortness. Plus, I wanted to finish up the Mikuo thing.  
**

* * *

_Chapter 22 _

"Get into the car, idiot," Sora hollered for Len. He had been staring toward Iroha's house for too long, in desperate hopes that Iroha would be there before he drove away. But that looked like it wasn't going to happen.

_Oh well. _

* * *

Mikuo traced a heart on his cell phone, on a picture of Gumi. Her vibrant smile, peridot eyes…everything, everything was so beautiful about her.

He couldn't believe that Miku had blinded him.

_How did she do that anyway?_

It was clear, though, by the tender look of her eyes that she loved Gakupo. _Gakupo… _Gakupo wasn't a bad person. Mikuo only smiled bitterly, because of his foolishness and insecurity. _Why couldn't I have chosen someone else?_ Why did he feel remorse for sexually abusing Gakupo at all?

With a _ping_, Mikuo heard a new text arrive.

**Gumi- '**I forgot to say thanks for stopping it with Gakupo. Oh well, thanks anyway. :) I hope we can stay friends.**' **

A single tear slipped down his cheek as he closed up his cell phone.

_If she's happy, then I'm happy.  
_

* * *

"Hurry it _up,_ Dad!" Iroha demanded of her father, who was upstairs. "How long does it take to find a _camera_?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming?"

Iroha tapped her foot impatiently. Stupid dramatic father.

Suddenly Yuuma came rushing down the stairs, looking as though he had thought up something brilliant. "Irohaaaaa, did you save up the last piece of cake?"

Iroha suddenly realized why Yuuma took so long. He was thinking up a good goodbye gift…in his bedroom.

"Thanks, Dad," Iroha breathed, and sped for the kitchen to make some last-minute preparations.

* * *

The early morning sun burst forth with such extravagance that for a moment Len thought he'd gone to heaven. Shielding his eyes from his face, he watched as the sky changed from navy blue to yellows and pinks and lavenders and greens. The vermilion sun seemed to literally _push_ back the starry night. The moon was fading. Everywhere signs of daytime appeared; birds began chirping a melody to welcome this arrival, and any object that dared to resist the sun's glow appeared as a dark opaque shape in the midst of it all.

"Beautiful sunrise, isn't it?" Miku muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Absolutely," Sora agreed drily. He had no intention of enjoying this kind of folly stuff.

Len sighed. His parents were so cruel to nature…But that wasn't the subject of worry at the moment. Where the heck _was_ Iroha?

Then he saw a pink-haired girl climb over the neatly-trimmed rosebush hedge, hurrying toward them. Her golden eyes were sparkling, and she was holding something behind her back, as if as a surprise…

"Be right back!" Len hollered, and hurried to greet Iroha.

His steps seemed to leap over the earth, and yet never get near. For some reason Len always thought, with each running step, he was going to trip and fall. But he didn't, and soon he found himself, panting, in front of Iroha. Yes, she did have some kind of gift…Her hands were clasped tightly. Len found his eyes wandering elsewhere—her hair up in a ponytail with a golden kitty clip, or her lip gloss…

"Do you have something for me?" Len couldn't help but blurt.

Iroha nodded, and whipped her hands out from behind her back. There was the last slice of cake.

"Iroha…"

"Dad thought of it, actually. Eat it while you're driving."

"I don't know how to…" Len was suddenly cut off by Iroha's lips pressing on his.

It was a passionate kiss, unlike the shy accidental one they'd shared before. Every part of Len's body was screaming for more…when Iroha broke apart, but still had a smile on her face. She gave him a little push.

"Go on, Len. They're waiting."

"But I don't have—"

"It's alright. Your friendship was the greatest gift."

Len found out that he was blushing at these absolutely cheesy words. Iroha was too.

"Well, hurry," she said, her old tsundere mode back again.

Len grinned. He had to. She was one of the best girls he'd ever befriended—including Rin, of course.

"Yeah, I'll keep in touch."

* * *

Iroha found herself waving until her arms hurt. Len's family's old car kicked up dust on the road from the moment it started up—not without a roar, of course. Yuuma was standing with her, his hand on her shoulder. A few dry leaves fluttered into the air, but always moving out of the way when Iroha reached out to grab one. It playfully flew toward the direction Len's car was heading.

Len was close to the same now. Close, but unreachable, blowing farther and farther away.

Still, Iroha found reason to smile.

_We'll meet again, Len. There's still hope. And during the time we're waiting…I'll be counting the days until I can touch those lips with my mouth again. _

-End-

* * *

**Before everyone freaks out, EPILOGUE TIME! It should come sometime later. Man, I just love writing epilogues |DDDDD**

**Read and review!  
**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


	24. Epilogue: My Gosh, Is That You?

**Stupid mouse is stupid. -_- It's getting annoying how it keeps losing battery...it's a wireless mouse. (Lol, computer mouse)**

**Anyway, thank you wineprincess! :) You made my day. And as a reward, I HAVE PUBLISHED THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE YOU MOTIVATED ME! **

* * *

_Epilogue _

The annoying thing about being a senior in high school is that every day more work gets piled up upon one until they crack under the pressure. Although Iroha must admit that she enjoys all the attention all the kouhai pay her, she is also quite sick of all the work she has to do. Connections between she and her old friends, Teto, Miki, and Momo have remained fairly well through the five or six years, and occasionally they'd pay each other visits, but communication between her and Len have faded through the past year.

Iroha sighs and arrives at her home, after another grueling day at school. She drapes herself across a chair, setting her books down with a _thunk_.

"Rough day at school?" Yuuma comments, looking up from his book. He has taken up the art of being an author ever since Len moved away, proclaiming that "it's an awesomely awesome job to be a bestselling dude". He mostly writes extremely cheesy romance books that Iroha is rather ashamed of.

"Not rough," Iroha mutters. "Just…"

"Fantastically annoying," Yuuma suggests. He holds up his unfinished draft for Iroha to see. "Look, wanna edit this precious thing?"

Iroha squints and reads:

_"Oh, but my Hikaruuuuu-chaaaaan!" implored Lantis, on his knees.*** **"You _must_ accept, or else I __shall die a bloody death from the railing! Skewered! Would you allow your fellow fan such a horrible fate? Would you, Hikaruuuuuuu?"_

_The cold redhead glared upon him, hands on her hips. "Hmph!" she proclaimed in a high-pitched voice.  
_

_"Of course!" Lantis suggested eagerly. "You would not! So will you accept my—"  
_

_"I WILL NOT!" declared Hikaru. "Die a bloody death on the railing, then! Skewer yourself! I allow you such a fate! I would, Laaantisssss!"  
_

_And thusly, Lantis' body is found on a railing, a few days later. Hikaru's body is found near the similar place.  
_

"You're a really terrible horror writer, you know that?" Iroha mutters. "And besides, it's supposed to be spelled 'Lantis's', not 'Lantis''."

"But I wasn't attempting horror!" protests Yuuma. "I was attempting romance! You know, the sad stuff? I decided to take a break from happy endings…" Iroha rolls her eyes, nudging Yuuma's arm slightly so it's over his desk again.

"Before you attempt any of that again, go to high school…"

"Awwww, IROHAAAAAA!"

Honestly, Iroha loves her father, but he can be so dramatic at times. _This is one of those times,_ she thinks, and pries his arms off of her.

* * *

_A few weeks later~ _

"BREEAAAAAAK~!" cheers Iroha's new friend, Aoki Lapis, as the bell rings for the day. It's a Friday, and they get an entire two spring weeks to themselves, and Aoki is more than excited. "Iroha, do you want to come and hang out with Merli and me?" Merli is Aoki's older sister, and she's rather nice for someone who hangs out often with college-graduates who look down upon those younger than them.

Iroha declines politely. "I want some time to spend on my own, sorry…"

Aoki's face falls, but she smiles again; she's a rather bubbly girl. "It's okay. You _can_ come over some other time, right?"

"I would guess," Iroha answers, chuckling to herself when she thinks about asking Yuuma. ("Yes! My darling chick baby has finally decided to consult her wise father for such decisions! Of COURSE you may, Iroha! But on one condition! You wouldn't make fun of my socks, right?")

Aoki nods enthusiastically, and speeds off.

* * *

Iroha walks aimlessly around town, with no particular purpose. _Am I still hoping that Len will come back some day?_ There certainly seems almost no way. Iroha keeps her eyes on her feet as she walks; the rocks never seemed so interesting before. As she takes each step she admires the each rock's formation, and wonders vaguely how they're formed.

She's so absorbed in this, she doesn't realize that she's heading toward the chest of a guy when she suddenly bumps into him and falls, her books scattering everywhere.

"Hey…Watch it!" Iroha snaps, rubbing her head and looking at her scraped knee. It's bleeding slightly, and her head hurts from suddenly hitting him and the shock of falling has caused a large amount of blood to rush to her head; it aches.

"I–I'm sorry, I didn't mean that…"

Iroha looks up and squints at the person. His wheat-blonde hair is drawn back, some parts bleached an aluminum silver, the sunlight dancing on each strand. Light, feathery tips of his hair brush his shoulders. He has multiple piercings, scattered here and there on his ears. White shirt, black choker, white exercising pants.****** It reminds her of Big Al, but unless Big Al has gotten the courage to dye his hair blonde, there's no chance.

"Are you new to this town?"

"Well…" The boy/man scratches his head. "Sort of…I mean, I was born here but I moved, but this is just a visit because my mom wants to eat something that this place sells."

He's sounding pretty familiar.

_Is he Len?_

Iroha tries to brush that thought off, but it keeps nagging her. As if…as if it's pressuring her to think that.

She can't be sure.

"Uh, got to scram," she says quickly, and hurries away.

* * *

Iroha enters a random shop on the street. As soon as she looks around, she realizes that it's a cosplay shop. There are mirrors all around, gothic girls in the corner are applying their makeup, and girls dressing as Luka are in another corner, squealing over Luka's latest songs. Iroha has to admire the pop star; even though she's aging, her voice is as clear and pure as fresh water. Suddenly captivated, she walks over to over to a rack of clothes that resemble Luka's usual type of dress in some kind of way, and browses through it, when—

"Hey," says a voice behind her.

Iroha looks up to see the blond.

"What do you want?"

He frowns for a moment, shifting from one foot to another. "Well…," he says uncertainly.

"Where did you move to?" Iroha decides to ask. _If he's Len, he'll—_

"Tokyo…"

Iroha is sure that her eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped. _Tokyo? Okay, that has _got_ to be Len… _But…he looks so different. The piercings, the haircut, which Iroha had been sure previously that Len would not get the nerve to do…

"Len?" she blurts before she could stop herself.

Surprise crosses his face before he knows it.

"You remind me of—…HOW DID YOU KNOW MY—_what?_—you're…you're…" A medley of random things leaves his mouth.

"Iroha," Iroha says, picking an invisible piece of lint off her skirt.

"Iroha," Len repeats, swaying slightly. His eyes are still on her.

"You're actually Iroha?" he whispers, heedless of the audience that has gathered around them. He reaches forward in shock to brush her pink hair, but Iroha jerks back and falls again. She laughs awkwardly, mumbling incoherent words. Len raises and eyebrow, and Iroha coughs and revises herself.

"Want some cake?" she offers, extending her hand toward him.

A moment of surprise flickers across his face; then recognition dawns as he figures out the joke. He rights himself, and slips his hand into hers. Iroha could feel their intertwined heartbeats, the ridges of the rings on his fingers…Then Len leans over to nip at her ear, a strand of feathery hair brushing against and tickling her cheek.

"Absolutely."

_~e n d~_

* * *

*** - LOLOLOLOLOLOL, characters from MKR. Sorry, I made them really OC and abused them...  
**

**** - From 96neko's video, "Len-kun NAU". Here: h t t watch?v=9S0id5DTB3U&feature=player_detailpage#t=64s It should show Len looking really mature.  
**

**Now, long author's note ahead:  
**

**…Lamest epilogue ever…**

**Still, I can't say I'm disappointed with this thing. ^w^ Mainly because the rest of the ideas that came into my head were lamer than this. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to do bittersweet ending, Awesomesaucelv8. ;_; ...But is this a hopeful ending? Dunno...  
**

**I don't think I want to make a sequel, because that would TOTALLY ruin it.  
**

**Read and review!  
**

**_(Thanks to everyone for following/favoriting this! _****_Le people here- Awesomesaucelv8, AxxSTAR, GodofAWSOMEstuff, Inside Out Musica, KaiKi2012, Paru Cafe, Sashy-6am, Shriekmon, xTanukix, Aomori Miki, DyingWill4RainSky, Forever Lazy, japaneserockergirl, and Ten-Faced. Yeah, I did alphabetical order, first the favoriting list then the following list. XD)_**

**_Ten-Faced, japaneserockergirl, KaiKi2012, and Awesomesaucelv8 each get a cookie for random PM chatting in later chapters~! Lol_**

**~Unyielding Wish  
**


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